One Certain Magical Punch
by SoulAzul
Summary: Saitama. The professional hero from Z-City who fulfilled a childhood dream of becoming a hero of justice. Touma Kamijou. The average high school student wielding the miracle shattering power in his right hand from Academy City. Is a hero the one who punches for the sake of others or the one who punches for what he thinks is right? When two fists cross paths, a story is born!
1. Chapter 1 Part 1

**CHAPTER 1**

 **A Clash Between Caped Crusaders.**

 ** _Bald Men_in Capes._**

Z-City, 8:30 AM

An alarm clock sitting atop a wooden table roared in a messy apartment bedroom. Besides it resided a series of lumps resembling a human body hidden underneath a pale blue cover on a wooden floor. The lumps twisted and turned bringing the pillow underneath the sheets to cover its head. After letting the alarm ring for what seemed like an eternity, a fist swiftly and effortlessly crushed the alarm clock like a hammer. The figure slowly rose and the sheets fell off revealing a bald man in striped turquoise pajamas with his eyes closed. He yawned, stretching his arms before returning to his previous position. He slowly opened his eyes.

Saitama was not a morning person.

Without really thinking about it he was already in the bathroom, washing his face in the sink with his hands and soap.

Next thing he knew he was standing in the living room holding a bowl of generic dollar store brand cereal. He noticed a blinking red light gleaming on the electronic display on his home phone. He lazily shuffled over to it and pushed a round button next to it. A recording of robotic female voice played saying "You have thir...teen... new messages." Saitama groaned.

Another familiar robotic voice played. That which belonged to Saitama's trusted roommate and good friend Genos.

"Sensei, just setting a reminder that we have training at Generic Plains B scheduled tomorrow at 5 AM like you promised."

(I wish I didn't lose that game of shogi.) Saitama begrudgingly reflects as he rubs his temple. (Was I drunk when I challenged him?)

*Beep!*

"Sensei, it's 4:50 AM. Are you awake yet? Judging from your previously displayed feats of speed, I have induced that you shall arrive at our designated location within the next at your top speed. I will wait for you before starting."

*Beep!*

"Sensei, it is 5:01. I assume you are still asleep. Is this a test to see if I'll keep committed to our promise? If so, I shall proceed on my own. I won't let you down Sensei!"

*Beep!*

"Sensei, I have completed a pre selected training regime and will now relay the results…"

*Beep!*

"Sensei-"

*Beep!*

"Sensei-"

*Beep!*

"Sen-"

*Beep*

Saitama groans and walks towards the living room.

"Sensei, there has been a villain citing around our area. A magician has been spotted stealing panties in the prefectures near us. The reports claim…"

Saitama sat down in front of his flat screen TV. He turned it on with the remote despite the power button being within arm's length. The news was the first thing on. A tan gentleman with a large square chin, silver hair, and an intimidating dimple to dimple smile appeared. Saitama slightly staggered at the sight of him.

"Goooooooood morning S-City!" the man says in a baritone. "I'm Anchor Man, your local anchorman here to deliver the highest quality news!"

(I bet that hair's fake.) he thinks, rubbing his bald head.

Saitama swirls some cereal in the milk before putting a scoop in his mouth. He looks at the TV with a blank expression.

Ever since he was a child, Saitama's goal in life was to become a hero for justice. In order to achieve this goal, he began a series training regimen at the ripe age of 23. He completed the insanely rigorous course of 100 pushups, 100 situps, and 5 kilometer running every day without rest. Additionally, he supplemented his nutritional value by eating one banana after sessions and slept without covers or using the AC in order to build mental fortitude.

In three years, Saitama reached an unmatched level of strength. From then on literally all of his fights with the exception of two ended in one punch. The first one was simply a routine display of one of his deadly techniques Normal Consecutive Punches but he still could have killed him in one shot if he wanted. After all, there is more than one way to skin a cat. And the second was because his opponent, the insanely powerful but inferior alien roaming the universe for a challenge Boros, had regenerative properties.

However, such power did not come without a cost. Part of the reason he wanted to be a hero was the thrill of an exciting clash. Hero versus villain, ideal versus ideal, spirit versus spirit. As ideal as it sounds, being able to defeat your foes in one punch doesn't make for a very exciting life style. At least to Saitama who only wants a challenge.

The thrill he longed for constantly stays ever so far out of reach. And the flames of the passion that has once inspired him to become a hero have weakened to but an ember. Being overwhelmingly powerful...is boring as hell. And it has left Saitama feeling emotionally numb and hollow.

It was a good thing he had friends...acquaintances because it's lonely at the top.

Saitama continued to stare at the screen forgetting to blink. His eyes rolled over to the left to focus on the calendar. May 23 is surrounded by several sloppy red circles and arrows pointing at it from all directions. Inside the circle read "SALE! FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!"

Saitama's heart pounded in his chest. He shifted his eyes to the bottom right hand corner of the TV. "May 23, 82o, 10:35 AM." Saitama's expression widened as he released a slowly escalating scream.

Minutes later, he was out of the door wearing pale blue jeans, green sneakers with white tips, and hoodie that read "Oppai," followed by what appear to be a curvy W with dots in the gaps. Additionally, he had on a green backpack.

Saitama made a frantic sprint down the street avoiding many citizens along the way with swift movements the untrained eye couldn't detect. He swung his arms all the way past his head making it seem like he was performing rapid karate chops.

Five minutes later, Saitama came to a screeching halt. He arrived at his destination: A mundane supermarket.

Saitama steps on a black carpet seemingly stapled to the concrete ground. The automatic doors swiftly retreated to the sides. After walking a few steps, Saitama's head moved in all directions. He scanned the horizons with attentiveness that would make Genos proud.

An open mouth smile takes over his face. He walks over to the vegetation aisle.

Two heads of cabbage sit behind transparent wrapping atop a yellow tray. Below to it sits a pointy hot pink, paper mache sign that reads "CABBAGES, 50% OFF!" Saitama picks up a red shopping basket underneath it and places the cabbage inside.

When he turned around, Saitama is greeted by an elderly woman with a hunched back. The woman wore a warm smile that indicated she lived a long, satisfying life.

"Oh my," she says. "Is that the last batch of twin cabbages?"

Saitama noded.

"Oh dear. What a shame… I was really hoping to get a batch to make some salad with it."

Saitama stared at the woman with a blank expression.

"It's disappointing a poor old lady can't get her proper nutrients for her vitamin A deficiency."

The old lady looked at Saitama with cat eyes. He squinted staring at her for a moment. Then, he slowly leaned forward as his face grew dimly serious and in deep voice and a serious demeanor, he said:

"First come, first served. Old bitch."


	2. Chapter 1 Part 2

10:45 AM

Later, Saitama stood in an extremely long line with the red bucket in his right hand. He observed his surroundings with a bored look on his face. His gaze shifts to the display window and sees an elderly looking man with a very angular pale face dressed as a magician. His white mustache was comically large and he had wrinkles. The magician jumped atop a rectangular recycling bin and stood upright with his arms extended.

"Citizens of Z-City!" he announced while looking at nobody in particular. "I am Abicus the Magnificent, the world's greatest magician! Master of illusion! King of quizzical expressions! But doubt me not my inquisitive inquiries! For these are not simple parlor tricks. No, I come bearing real, live magic!"

He stepped off the bin landing on his left foot first.

"For my first trick I'll need volunteer…"

He scans his immediate surroundings for a brief moment.

"Ah!" he exclaims, pointing his wand at a young brunette woman wrapped around her boyfriend's arm. "You'll do!"

"Huh?" the women says.

(Huh.) Saitama thought. (A street performer. That's pretty cool.)

Abicus continued cocking his wand back.

"Alakazheemo...Alaka-zingo!"

The couple stared at the seemingly aging man as he extended the stick forward. The young lady jumped up and gasped. Her face grew red.

"What's wrong babe?" the young man asked.

"Well, that's all for now folks," Abicus said while running around them. "Thanks for being such great sports! Taa-taaaaaa!"

The young lady tugged down on her skirt.

"Babe?" the man questioned again leaning closer to the woman.

"My…" she whispered. Her soft tone then turned into a shout. "My pantieeeeeeees!"

"What?!" The man turned around and squeezed his right fist. "That bastaaaaaaaaard!"

(Ah. Must be a new villain. He doesn't seem like that big of a deal. I'll let the C-Ranked heroes take care of him.)

He looked at the people behind him. There were people lined up all the way from the frozen dairy isle. The old lady who Saitama scolded earlier stood three people behind him. She scowled at him but he ignores her.

(Plus, I don't want to lose my spot in line.)

Saitama walked up to the clerk. He placed the only item in his bucket, the twin cabbage heads, on the counter. The cashier, a young lady with short orange hair and a red shirt with a nametag that read "Becky", takes the cabbage heads and ran them atop the scanner. A beeping sound comes out of it.

"That will be five hundred-twenty yen," she enthusiastically said.

Saitama smirks as he takes out a 1000 yen bill from his wallet and handed it to her. She took out the appropriate amount of change in coins from the cash register. A receipt came out of a slit in the register and she tears it off as well with the hand holding the coins.

"Sorry. We're out of bills."

"It's fine. I'm just happy I made it to the sale on time. This is the last one."

"Oh, really?" Becky put the lettuce in a white plastic bag. "Wow, you made it a the last possible moment, huh? Are you some sort of superhero?"

"Uh...something like that," Saitama says as he scratches his head with his right hand. The two share a laugh.

"Gee," the old lady silently complains. "Get a room you two."

Becky extended the plastic bag in front her.

"Have a good day, sir!"

Becky held the money and receipt in her.

"Have a good day, sir!"

Becky held the money and receipt in her right hand and the bag of cabbages in her left. Saitama reached out to grab them. Suddenly Abicus came flying through the display window. He smashed through the top of the counter into a stacked can of beans. Becky screamed and hops back a bit before hiding under the counter.

"Huh?" Saitama said as he looks the the left.

"Hmph," Abicus scoffed as he pushed himself up, cans rolling onto the floor. "That was a dirty trick."

A well built man with short black hair and a black tank jumped through what was previously a display window.

"Ha! That's rich coming from a two bit con like you!"

Abicus stood up and slapped his right ear making a few cans of beans pour out of his left.

"You dare doubt the other worldly prowess of Abicus the Magnificent?" He tugged on his right sleeve with his left index finger and more cans pour out.

Tank Top Black Hole walked closer to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a familiar bald head. His face grew pale as he remembered his first encounter with him. Citizens dart towards the exit and the now open broken display window.

(Oh great.) he lamented. (This asshole again.)

Saitama looked at Tank Top Black Hole with a hollow expression.

(Oh, great.) he nonchalantly pondered. (This asshole again.)

Abicus raised his arms and wiggled his fingers. He had a somewhat angry disposition.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he shouted. "Eyes on me. Otherwise, you might miss this neat trick! Alakazheemo…"

Saitama squeezed the air in front of his hands. He looked down and noticed he is not holding his bag of cabbage. He gasped and frantically looked around as the citizens dart past him.

"...Alaka-zingo!"

All of the cans that surrounded Abicus slowly ascended. Tank Top Black Vortex rushed towards the magician. The next instant the cans flew towards him at blinding speed. Tank Top Black Vortex put his arms up to block a majority of the cans that pelted his upper body. He grunted and gritted his teeth. Then a pink tray smacked him in the face making a loud crunching sound.

Saitama's head swung to the the right and his heart sunk as the twin cabbages bursted into green fragments before him. Tank Top Black Vortex fell to the ground. Screaming and sweating citizens run around him not daring to look back.

"And now," Abicus announced. "For my grand exit!"

The magician vanished among the panicking crowd. Saitama walks over to the scattered cabbage ruins. He dropped to his knees and picked up a trampled and blackened piece. The upper half snapped off. Saitama had a look as if he was just rejected by his elementary school crush.

(I saved up for three weeks to buy these cabbages. This was the only time I could have bought this. Now I have to wait a whole month. On top of that, my money was scattered among the chaos.)

He squeezed his fist and slowly stood up. Becky was hunched over with her arms holding her head and tears in her eyes.

"Becky. Does this store do tabs?"

Becky turned to face him confused. It may or may not have been due to the shock scene that played out before her. She looked at him dumbfounded with her mouth slightly hanging open.

"Ah, well that's okay. I guess I'll be back in about a month."

The shivering young woman blinked a few times as Saitama walked towards the exit. As she stared at his backside when he reached the outside world, without realizing it she lost track of him. In his place is a dust cloud pointing upwards. Her jaw dropped and her eyes widened.

Tank Top Black Hole laid sprawled out on the dirty and cold floor with shoe marks all over him.

(No one must ever know I was defeated by cabbages.) 

Several miles above the city, Saitama performed a front flip as he removed his backpack and pulled some clothing. The top of a yellow onesie and a white cape and dangled furiously in the air. He swiftly untied his sneakers and pulled them off. Then he awkwardly yanked off his pants revealing the rest of his costume. He unzipped the descending backpack pulling out a red pair of gloves. After putting them on he hunched his body to do the same to insert his feet into a pair of red boots. He did another front flip to catch his falling clothes and put them in his backpack before zipping it up.

He landed on an enormous building two blocks away from the supermarket. With his bag in his left hand he looked down following the direction of fleeing civilians. Among them he saw a black cape flapping.

"Found you, asshole," he declared with an intense look on his face. Then after dropping his bag he jumped into the air causing the area surrounding where he stood to explode into clumps of rock.

The bag fell onto a horizontal flagpole bearing Japan's symbol.

"This looks like a job for…"

Saitama straightens his body and slowly picks up descending speed. He cocks his right arm back.

"Gonna Fuck Somebody Up Man."


	3. Chapter 1 Part 3

10:53 AM

Abicus huffed and puffed as he made a mad dash down a wide and empty alley. He turned around to see if Tank Top Black Hole had followed him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Saitama darting towards him with a very angry look on his face. Abicus leapt out of the way at last moment but the shock caused by Saitama landing sent catapulted him few feet further through the air than he anticipated.

"Geez!" he exclaimed. His body twirled but he front flipped to land on his feet, albeit imbalanced. He faced a growing cloud of dust.

"Damn," Saitama said as if he spilled a drink on an expensive shirt. For a while he remained nothing but a silhouette among the dusty debris. His footsteps were the only sound in the spacious area as they slowly approach the baffled and cautious magician. Saitama's silhouette appeared among the clouds with an enraged look. Abicus' body stiffened and his face dropped as he focused on the menacing shadow slowly walks towards him.

(The atmosphere just got really intense all of a sudden. This guy's got a pretty threatening aura around him. Better go all out just to be safe...I'll have to buy myself some…)

The distance between Abicus and Saitama closed within a fraction of a second. Abicus gasped as noticed a red blur traveling towards his face. He ducked, holding his hat with his left hand. He stepped off his left foot and glided several feet ahead. He turned midflight.

(Goddamn! That was close! The wind of that punch could have killed me! And what speed!)

Saitama kicked off his left leg in the same fashion with his right arm cocked back. Before he reached him, Abicus tapped his head and chest with his wand.

"Rubiosa!"

Immediately following, the fist connected with Abicus' torso sending him flying through five buildings. Fragments of cement flew with clouds of dust following.

"Whoops," Saitama said easing up slightly. He sprinted in the direction he launched Abicus, running through the holes in each buildings. He looked around to see if any civilians were hurt.

"Sorry, sorry."

He stopped in front of the fifth building, a rather tall yellow hotel.

(I hope I didn't kill him. He owes me five-hundred twenty yen.)

Saitama's face dropped as he saw the magician standing up, brushing off dust from atop the left shoulder his dark suit.

(No way…)

(No way!) Abicus thought. (Was that even his full strength?! Is he trying to kill me? Good thing I made myself rubber before he made contact…)

"What the hell, man?!" Abicus yelled. "What's your damage? You gonna off me over some Goddamn panties?"

"I don't give a shit about any of that," Saitama yelled back, putting a puzzled look on Abicus' face. "You've destroyed something very precious of mine."

"Huh?"

Saitama stomped his left foot and vigorously pointed at Abicus.

"You'll pay for ruining my cabbages! Literally!"

Abicus' mouth hung open slightly. Then a few seconds later, it drops completely. His posture even hunched over as if that sentence zapped a bit of his strength.

(You gotta be fucking kidding me.)

"Dude, cabbages aren't even that expensive. Don't you think you're overreacting just liiiiiiitle a bit?"

"Don't you know how precious sales are to someone with a C-ranked hero's salary?!"

"No and I don't care. Regardless, it doesn't look like you'll let me off the hook easily. So…"

Abicus stepped off his left foot propelling himself forward at high speed. Saitama threw a punch but the magician slid underneath it revealing a series of debris from the hotel heading towards him. Saitama threw five hooks turning the yellow rocks into dust. He quickly turned around. Abicus kicked a sewer door at Saitama but it ricocheted off the side of his head. He sprinted towards the magician.

Abicus then stepped to the left. Looking down Saitama saw a banana peel in his path. He stepped on it with his left foot causing him to slide a few feet. The portion he stepped on was flattened as he kicked off to chase after his foe. A vein taking the pattern of a lightning bolt appears on the right side of Saitama's head as he nears the elusive magician. Inches away from his face, he cocks his fist back and clenches his muscles.

(This won't kill him. I think.)

Abicus put on a cheek to cheek smile as he poked his temple with his wand.

"Rubiosa," he whispered in sinister voice.

Saitama's fist sunk into Abicus' nose. His neck extended, taking his head several meters out of Saitama's field of focus. A second later, it quickly came crashing into Saitama's face. He flinched and a loud smack is heard as he stumbles back a few steps with his head angled up.

"Huh," Saitama said with a red mark across his face. "I forgot what pain felt like."

For the record, Saitama's pretty damn tough. Out of all of the opponents who have managed to land a blow on him, none of them were able to bring anything resembling harm to him. But in this case the power from his punch was absorbed by Abicus' face using his spell. Thus, his own strength was used against him.

Abicus kicked back yet again and extended his arms in front of him. His palms faced forward.

"Chidori: One-thousand birds!"

Several white birds flew out from of his sleeves in the direction of the bewildered Saitama.

"Hmm…" Saitama beckoned. As the birds come heading his way at high speeds, he his raises his fists towards his face. "Consecutive Normal Punches."

Using one arm, Saitama snuffed out every single bird that came at him, reducing them to feathers and purple dust.

(Son of a biiiitch.) Abicus panicked. Sweat rolled down his face after seeing one of his most hard to avoid attack easily defeated.

Saitama passively sprinted towards Abicus but disappeared out of his line of sight about halfway. Panicking, Abicus looks around. While his head faces the left, the reflection of the sun bounces off of Saitama's head, alerting him to his presence in front of him. He quickly turns around and sees him with his left fist cocked back. Abicus realizes he isn't fast enough to dodge or block. However, he sees that his fist is heading right towards his wand.

"Rubiosa!" he quickly yelled.

Saitama's fist made contact with the tip of the wand. Oddly, the impact reverbed right back up his arm, making it wiggle up to his shoulder. Saitama's pupils dilated and his brow tightened as he let out a small grunt. His left arm flopped to the side and dangled in an unnatural fashion. Abicus kicked back and waved his wand side to side between his thumb and index finger.

"Taa taa!" he exclaimed.

"Ahh," Saitama said. "Not a problem."

Abicus' face tensed at his foe's surprisingly whelmed reaction.

"I saw this in a manga once."

Saitama threw his left arm back, making it stretch far out of Abicus' range of focus.

On the other side of town, the cyborg Genos, known by the public as Demon Cyborg, strolls down a block. He was so entranced in thought that he didn't notice the fleeting looks of women of various ages staring at him. Although to be fair he might have ignored them regardless.

(I wonder if sensei overslept again. We were supposed to go on patrol...Come to think of it, he still hasn't returned my calls. Could he have overslept the entire week as well...?)

As Genos unconsciously rubbed the bottom his chin, a red glove shot past him and crashed into the display window of the jewel store to his left. Genos' head shot up and saw an elongated yellow arm. The clenched fist blurred towards the same direction from whence it came. Genos stares at the arm with a wide eyes.

(Sensei's arm...?! But why is it stretching that far? He's never shown any signs of having rubber powers… It must be the work of a new villain. But who?)

Genos lowly gasped. He turned to his right, pulling his arms back to shoot rockets out of his palms, back and feet. He hovered above the ground at high speed and quickly avoided any cars in his way.

(He must have been training because he got my warning. Damn… it might just be him… he may not look like much of a threat but according to few reports, he's incredibly dangerous. In terms of power, his magical abilities might analogous to sensei's strength. He's no joke… Abicus the Magnificent.)

"Gum Gum…" Saitama said. His fist trailed through the air at an incredible speed, pushing aside cars parked near the sidewalk and breaking all manner of glass in its wake. Abicus swung his wand under his armpit. "Jet Pistol."

"Misdirection!" Abicus yelled as he swung his wand at the fist that has broken the sound barrier, deflecting it skyward. It demolished a cloud on its travel up.

A certain tiny psychic woman with curly green hair casually floated across the azure sky with her arms crossed. The Terrible Tornado, aka Tatsumaki gently sailed past a sea of clouds with a deceptive expression of annoyance. To anyone unfamiliar to her, it may appear she is in a perpetual state of pouting. But she has what is colloquially referred to as Resting Bitch Face syndrome.

From underneath her, a red hand darted towards her direction. Tatsumaki noticed but not before the unclenched palm made contact with her hilariously underdeveloped right breast at the peak of its height. Her mouth dropped as quickly as the hand fell back down to Earth. Tatsumaki floated in place for a moment and attempted to process the events that have just transpired before her. When that failed, she flailed her arms and shouted

"WHAT THE FUUUUUUUUCK?!"

Saitama's arm snapped back in place and created a slapping sound upon impact. He clenched it, revealing that the extended elasticity has worn off.

"What the fuck? Was that the wing of a plane? Nah...too soft. An animal's belly maybe?"

"Hey," Abicus called out. "Imma need you to fuck off, like, now. So…"

Abicus jumped several feet into the air. He waved his wand in a circular motion.

"Fifty-Two Drop Down!"

A giant deck of playing cards materialized around him. Abicus pointed the wand at Saitama with the cards following pursuit at a high speed. Saitama leapt into the air, jumping off several cards in succession. He punched a few on the way up which made them crumble as if they were made of stone.

(Man,) Saitama thought. (This guy's a pain in ass. And yet, this is somehow…)

Saitama punched another card which reduced it to rubble. Amidst the dust and card fragments, a once in a lifetime earnest grin can be seen

(...exciting... )

Saitama hopped off an ace of hearts card while he cocked his left arm back. Abicus waved his wand toward himself causing a nine of clubs to dart in front of him. Abicus raised his legs forward putting his feet against the card. A second later, Saitama demolished the card in a single strike, making a explosion of dust and card fragments. Abicus disappeared. Saitama looked surprised as he fell before he landed on the edge of a building. Abicus stood folding his arms on the opposite edge as his toes perfectly held his weight against the edge.

"So," Saitama beckoned. "At this point, the bad guys usually explain their motives and origin stories."

"What? Why the hell would I do that?"

"I don't know. It's a villain thing."

"Are you retarded?"

"Hey. It's got nothing to do with my intelligence. It's more like… you don't seem like that bad of a guy. I mean, I'm still mad you destroyed my cabbage but it's not like I want to kill you over it. And you're like the second 'bad guy' I didn't beat in like, a second. Why are you doing these petty strings of crime?"

A drop of sweat fell down the side of Abicus' head.

(Fuck, that's an honor. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy beat people in one punch on a regular basis. But still…)

"It's none of your Goddamn business."

"Come on, don't be that way."

"No, fuck you! You don't understand what it's like to be me! You couldn't possibly understand. Plus, you might just use that as an excuse to punch me while I'm talking."

"I'm not an asshole. And you don't know that."

Abicus smacked the air with the back of his left hand as if it owed him money.

"Shut up! You don't know man...you couldn't possibly know man…my struggle man...It all began in my college freshman year..."

(And then he talks anyway,) Saitama ponders with a goofy and relieved smile. He quickly reverts back to a neutral expression. (Villains are all the same.)

"I was admitted to a local college off an academic scholarship in S-City because of my exceptional grades in high school. I was only six points away from a perfect score in the exam they gave me… It's not like I tried hard or anything. School just wasn't all that difficult to me, especially since I liked looking things up on the internet all the time..."

(Man, I wish I grabbed some popcorn from the supermarket, Saitama thinks with a blank expression. Maybe if I imagine myself eating popcorn, this story won't be as boring...munch...munch...chew, munch...crunch...hahahahaha…)

"Anyway...I was in the library, studying for my honors theoretical physics mid term. And then, I met her… Sally Perkins... She was the most beautiful girl I ever laid my virgin eyes on."

(Heh. Virgin...HA. LAID.)

"She had beautiful emerald eyes and long blonde, albeit dyed, hair. As she frustratingly chewed on her eraser, I couldn't help but notice she was having trouble with some physics homework. So I ask her if she needed help. She chuckled and said "Yeah...physics was never really my thing, haha." I never imagined I'd ever talk to a girl like her before…"

(Man, he does need to get laid. I mean, I shouldn't be talking but at least I never let it tare me up like that.)

"As I helped her, I noticed the pile of books on her left were all related to magic. "Magic Tips, Encyclopedia of Magic, Magic for Dummies." So I boldly said "Hey… so you seem to be into magic, huh?" To which she replied "Hm? Oh yeah. I'm a total sucker for magic and stuff. Ahahaha…" So then I had this brilliant idea."

(Oh no…)

Abicus clenches his right fist as he proudly shouts

"From then on, I decided I would become a master of magic and all manner of sorcery!"

Saitama facepalmed.

"Later that night, I looked up everything I could about magic. I would continue to do so, eventually neglecting my studies in favor of magic. I studied magic for hours at a time every day for the next two years. I made sure I got enough sleep every night so my brain could adequately solidify the information I've gained. Eventually, my grades suffered because I neglected my studies. I had to drop out by the end of sophomore year to avoid being drowned in debt. So, on my last night on campus, I snuck over to her dorm when it was late to get one last look at her. Using magic, I floated to a second story window and hid in the trees to peer through her window. And that's when I saw it.

"Sally Perkins was making out with Bensen Uberwhich, the ape like captain of the lacrosse team. She said she wasn't seeing anyone midway through sophomore year. But then again, she was really popular with the boys. She stopped for a moment and looked away. "What's the matter babe?" the man ape asked. "This doesn't feel right…" And then the man ape snorts like he has a dick in his nose and says "Maybe it's because this ain't the right position." Even though I hid myself from sight using magic, I felt her gaze penetrate me as she looked out the window for a second. Then she turns back to the man ape and gleefully says "Yeah, you're probably right. Ahahahaha…" I dropped to the ground, crushed, betrayed. Utterly demolished. Also, my back really hurt from the two story fall. But it didn't compare the two story fall of my heart.

"All that time and effort... wasted. I had to move back in with my parents but my dad practically disowned me and my mom couldn't look me in the eye. I could only make money by street performing. I barely made a few bucks a week in spite of my otherworldly talents. To top it off, I felt totally numb on the inside.

"But as the weeks went by, a terrible anger grew inside of me. Anger at Sally Perkins for stomping on my heart. Anger at Bensen for stealing my girl. Anger at the job market for being so fucking ridiculous. I mean, why the hell do I need experience to be a Goddamn cashier? But most of all… I felt anger at this cold and unrelenting world! So I vowed to get vengeance upon every Bensen in the street by stealing the panties of beautiful women everywhere! Gwahahahahahaha!"

Lightning struck in front of Abicus as he cackles and points at Saitama. Saitama pondered for a second where the lightning came from but then realized Abicus artificially created or summoned it or whatever for dramatic effect.

"And there's not Goddamn thing you can do to stop me…"

Abicus' stopped speaking upon noticing a very pissed of Saitama folding his arms.

"Dude, why the face?"

"Well, first of all, yeah, actually I do know what you've went through. Likey almost exactly the same thing except not as pathetic. I wanted to be a hero for justice so I trained my ass off and became so super powerful. Then I started beating people in one punch. Yep, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 10 kilometer running every single day for three years."

(Ah,) Abicus thinks as sweat rolls down his temple. (So that explains the ridiculous punching power. WAIT, THAT WORKOUT REGIMEN ISN'T IMPRESSIVE AT ALL!)

"And it turns out being super strong isn't all that cracked up to be. I haven't felt the thrill of a good fight in ages. And look, I'm sorry you lost your girl, I really am. But that doesn't excuse you from being a panty stealing sack of shit. Second, you could have joined the Hero Association if you wanted make some cash with the skills you have. Sure, you might have to train a little harder to pass the physical portion but it's not out of reach for you. I mean, even if you are kind of a loser, your powers are awesome. You could have done great as a hero.

"But no. You decided to waste your powers on petty robbery. I guess I could be projecting a bit since you're kiiiiiiiinda like me but your origin story really pisses me off because of how pathetic it is."

Abicus stared at the bald man lecturing him from afar. His left eye twitched.

"Now come on. Turn yourself in and give up these stupid strings of crime. I don't feel like punching out some sad old man. I might get nightmares."

(Wow, I'm actually pretty heated over this.)

Abicus clicked his teeth. He may have faced scorn, he may have faced harsh words from his victims. But never, ever, has anyone had the scones to talk down to him in such a way that portrayed moral superiority.

(Don't you fucking condescend to me you piece of trash.)

"Eat shit."

Suddenly, he dropped backwards. Saitama gasped and sprinted ahead. When he looked down in the alley between this building and the next but saw no sign of Abicus.

(You know, for a geezer, he sure acts like a brat.)

Out of the corner of his eye, Saitama detected the movement of a black cape flapping in the wind as it rounded the corner. He dashed to opposite end of the building and saw Abicus running down a somewhat crowded sidewalk. Citizens glanced at him but he ignored them.

Saitama dropped down. As soon as his feet made contact with the ground, he kicked off towards the magician, easily swerving around startled civilians.

Abicus looked at him with cunning eyes. When Saitama was three feet away from him, Abicus hopped towards the right hiding behind a frightened young woman. Saitama reached the woman a second later, skidding to a stop. To his surprise, Abicus was no longer next to her. Instinctively looking to the left, he saw Abicus on the other side of the street.

Saitama closed the distance in a second causing a red and orange car to skid past each other on the way. He cocked his right arm back but the magician stepped behind an old man, removing himself from Saitama's sight. Saitama's face grew pale as he skid to a stop again. Abicus disappeared again.

The old man pointed down the neighboring alley on his right with a shaky finger.

"He's down there!" he yelled in wheezing voice. Abicus frowned.

(Fucking geezer. Looks like I'll have to whip out my trump card. And lucky me, I met the requirements.)

He pulled out a saw with a rainbow patterned handle from under his sleeve. Saitama kicked off his right foot boosts ahead.

"Thanks gramps!" Saitama yelled.

Abicus somersaulted behind a garbage can. Then, he appeared in front of another one a few meters ahead. He swung the saw forward, revealing a rainbow patterned line that widened into some sort of tare. He leapt inside.

Saitama kicked off his left foot and reached out with his right arm. The two flew down a colorful wormhole that resembled the inside of a kaleidoscope. Abicus turned around and frowned at Saitama accelerating towards him.

"Can you fuck off?!"

Saitama managed to grab Abicus' left foot and cocked his left fist back.

"No."

In the next instance, they reappeared in the midst of the blue sky. Saitama yanked Abicus hard enough that his face would fly directly into his rock hard fist. Oddly, instead of wincing in anticipation of pain, he had on a disturbing smile. Upon contact, he exploded into a series of white birds flying in opposite directions.

"Huh?" Saitama said. Before he realized it, he was falling at an increasingly fast pace. However, in about half a minute he landed on his feet in the middle of the street. "Darn… I lost hi-"

An expensive looking yellow sports car crashed into Saitama. A large gap digs into the front engine, giving it the appearance of the letter "U". Saitama, unmoved, looked at the driver, a young man who appeared to be in his twenties. His mouth hung open in shock upon witnessing that sight.

"Hey," Saitama said. "You okay?"

The young man, while shivering, nodded.

"Okay. Now, I'm off to do hero stuff."

With that, Saitama jumped several stories into the air. The young man stares in awe. Then his car's airbags went off.

As Saitama reached new heights, he wore appeared puzzled expression as he looked down. Surrounding him were various electronic billboards advertising male students vests, energy drinks, and a children's television show featuring a young, female wizard.

(I don't recognize these buildings. They look really...fancy. And clean.)

He landed on a section of the sidewalk. He made a quick note of his surroundings before hopping up again. Some nearby teenagers point in awe as they take their cell phones out to record him.

(Lot of kids around...A lot of kids. Students actually… Where the hell am I?)

As if the universe read his mind, Saitama passed by a large white blimp with a display screen covering a good portion of the side. There was Japanese writing on the screen that read "Good Morning Academy City! 580" followed by a symbol of the sun.

"Huh? Academy City?"


	4. Chapter 2 Part 1

**CHAPTER 2**

 **Collecting the Pieces.**

 _ **Setting the_Stage for a Decisive Battle.**_

Academy City, 11:13 AM

A white bird soared through the scenic blue sky before gliding into a narrow alley way. Abicus reverted into his human form and walked onto the sidewalk, taping his each shoulder with his wand. Every grain of dust on his shoulders floated off and fell on the ground.

He looked around and made note of the particularly clean and brimming environment he catapulted himself into. The particular neighborhood he arrived was is surrounded by several large buildings that appear to be dormitories.

(This must be some sort of college campus. Looks pretty nice from the outside. Regardless, I can't afford to make another dimensional leap or else I'll risk absolutely destroying this one and my point of origin. And we wouldn't want that. Regardless…)

Abicus hopped onto a yellow cylindrical garbage bin that appeared to be a robot out of a sci-fi movie. He extended his arms outward.

"Ladies and gentle germs! Step right up, step right up! Watch and be dazzled by the talents of man of fables. Who can turn fantasy into reality. Who can bend the forces and laws of the physical world to his him! The one, the only… the legendary Abicus the Magnificent! People far and wide, young and old have lined up to bear witness to my amazing feats firsthand! But take heed! These are no simple parlor tricks! Nay...I come bearing the fruit of real, live magic!"

A few middle school students looked at Abicus but none stopped to observe him. A couple of girls giggled as they walk past him. They were wearing school uniforms with sleeve beige sweater vests over short sleeved dress shirts. A red, shield shaped emblem with a "T" in a fancy font placed inside of what appeared to be a gold four leaf clover was on the left chest of the uniform. Additionally, they had on short gray skirts and brown dress shoes. One of them had long blonde hair while the other had short, red hair.

"What a dork," The Redhead said. "'Real live magic?'"

"I know right?" The Blonde One agreed. "And look at his outfit. Sooooo last millennium."

"Maybe he's a time traveler?"

The two girls continued to giggle much to Abicus' disdain. He scowled at them.

A certain little brown haired girl dropped a white ice cream cone on the orange tiled ground. Suddenly, the trash can Abicus was standing on drove toward the cone.

Abicus floated in place with an irritated look. He shifted his focus toward the girls previously laughing at him who stared at him with mild curiosity. He smirked and floated over in front of them.

Abicus levitated in place in front in front of the stunned girls to convey how spectacular he was. He projected blinding rays of confidence.

"Impressed?" he ventured with his arms folded.

"Eh," The Blonde One said. "Not really."

"Yeah," The Redhead agreed. "There's a bunch of espers who can levitate. S'nothin' new."

Abicus frowned.

"Esper, magician, call it what you please. But as I've said before…"

Abicus reached behind The Redhead's left ear. She jumped out in surprise. Abicus revealed a silver coin between his thumb and index finger. He balled his fist and then exposing his palm, revealed three coins between the gaps of his fingers. He then brought his hand down quickly and caught the perfectly stacked coins on top of his burrowed thumb. He flicked the coins into the air and then caught them, revealing a single coin between his thumb and index finger.

"...these are no mere tricks young ladies."


	5. Chapter 2 Part 2

11:16 AM

"Awwwww. Misaka says exhibiting her disappointment at the predicament she has found herself in."

The little girl with short brown hair who resembled a certain brown haired esper complained as her ice cream melted into the ground. A single lock of hair protruded while she pouted.

A pale, skinny white haired teenage boy using a black hospital issue cane turned to the little girl with an annoyed expression. Aside from the choker with the electrode on it, the only other noteworthy thing he decided to wear a long-sleeved white shirt with a particular gray striped pattern.

"That's what you get for being careless," he apathetically answered.

"It's not Misaka's fault! says Misaka attempting to explain the situation to unfairly judgmental Accelerator."

While the little girl stomped her feet and complained, Accelerator walked ahead of her with his hands in his pockets. The little girl gasped and ran in front of him.

"Misaka mistook the melting popsicle for a creepy crawly and thus was startled at the sudden sensation, explains Misaka in hopes that Accelerator will sympathize with her situation."

"Well, sucks to be you."

The little girl gasped and proceeded to bang her tiny fists on Accelerator's thighs.

"You're mean! says Misaka , displaying her disdain for Accelerator's uncaring disposition-"

Suddenly, Accelerator's voice raises several octaves.

"Shut up Last Order!"


	6. Chapter 2 Part 3

11:21 PM

A small flame was lit on Abicus' left index finger. He looked at the young ladies with a smile indicating they should have been impressed. They were not. Abicus put on an annoyed frown and clapped his hands together before quickly sending them apart. A huge trail of fire bursted into the air. Abicus pointed at it with his wand, making it take the appearance of a Japanese dragon. He twirled the dragon around in the circular motion, directing it with his wand. For added effect, he made the dragon shoot fire into the air. It culminated in the dragon flying into Abicus' palms. He closed his palms as soon as all of the fire returned to him. Then, he slowly opened them,revealing three white birds that flew into the blue sky.

The Blonde One blinked once with her arms folded. The Read Head yawned.

Abicus revealed another annoyed frown.

"Alright," he said as he walked over to them. "Show's over."

He quickly twirled his wand in a circular motion.

"Alakazheemo, Alakazingo."

He tapped each of them on the shoulder and walked away in the opposite direction.

"Taa-taa," he said in a lifeless tone.

"What a freak," The Redhead said after seeing Abicus vanishes around the corner.

"Yeah. What was his deal?"

"I dunno. Must be the dementia."

"Hee, hee! Be quite! He might hear us!"

"...Nnnnno he won't."

The girls shared a chuckle. Then a strong gust of wind passed them. They froze mid laugh, remaining stationary for a few seconds. Their eyes opened wide.

"Uh…" The Blonde One said, smiling. "So...Am I the only one who's suddenly not wearing any panties or...?"

"Nope," The Redhead replied, smiling as well.

"Ah."

Two high pitched screams can be heard while Abicus failed to conceal his chuckling as he jogged down the block.


	7. Chapter 2 Part 4

11:29 AM

Abicus pulled two tied together panties out of his mouth. He stood behind a dumpster in a suspiciously clean alley. The first pair that came out was white with a yellow zig-zagged pattern. The second was slightly thinner and had pink polka dots. Abicus drooled and blushed at the magnificent sight. Stars were in his eyes.

(Awwww, sweet! I think these are my first polka dots and zigzags today! Hahaha! That's what those stupid skanks get for not being amazed by the amazing Abicus the Magnificent!)

Abicus rubbed his face against the panties before sniffing them. Suddenly, his brow straightened and his expression grew dire as if he were waiting for the results of a pregnancy test.

(Wait. They did look awfully young. I may be a pervert who steals panties in broad daylight under the guise of a harmless magic trick but I ain't no sick fuck. No way were those two no younger than sixteen. Not with those knockers. Still… I should be more vigilante.)

Abicus placed the panties into his left sleeve without looking down. He walked out of the alley while straightening his collar. He scanned his immediate surroundings. The sidewalks weren't exactly crowded but the people present all seemed to be young teenagers or middle schoolers. He turns around, irritated. He bumped into something soft. He stumbled back a few inches. He rubbed his nose, looking down.

"Geez, watch where you're gooooooooooooo…"

Abicus was welcomed by the annoyed scowl of a beautiful woman with long navy blue hair tied in a pony tail. She looked down at her newly wet track suit that was dyed a darker shade of green from the energy drink she was holding in her right hand, now an empty bottle. The fabric absorbed the liquid making it heavier and putting more emphasis on her well developed breasts, catching Abicus' full attention. The bit of her white t-shirt exposed at the unzipped part of jacket was also dyed blue. The scene unfolded within sight of the famous Macronell fast food restaurant before a handful of curious students.

"...ooooooooooooooo…"

"How about you look at your surroundings before making sudden turns?"

"...ooooooooooooooo…"

The woman squinted and stared for a moment before turning around and walking away. She tossed the bottle in a recycling bin a few feet ahead of her without looking at it. Abicus, after snapping out of his trance, ran up to the woman and placed a hand on her left shoulder.

"Wait!" he exclaimed. The beautiful woman turned around with a menacing stare.

"You better have a napkin in that hand or I'm keeping it."

(...This is the most frightening boner I've ever had. I am both scared and aroused. Scaroused. I'm coining that later.)

"My, my, young beauty, I've got something much better than that."

The woman turned around. Abicus waveed his wand in a circular motion.

"Alakazheemo...Alakazin-go!"

He tapped the young lady's shoulder. To her surprise, there was a sudden light warmness on her chest. She looked down to see it is completely dry. Abicus placed his right hand in front of her, palm facing up.

"Pardon me, young lady," he calmly says. Then, he balls his fist and quickly swings it in a circular motion. When he opens it up, a rose appears. The young woman's eyes widened.  
"But I don't have any money or napkins. So I hope you'll accept this."

"Ohhhhhh shit," one of the boys observing from inside the fast food restaurant enthusiastically says. "Houdini's got game!"

"Shut up Izuki!" his friend from across the table says, kicking his shin.

The young woman looked at the rose for a few seconds. She looked back at the man who warmly grins. Hesitating for a moment, she tooks the rose and observed it.

"Ohhhhhh shit!" Izuki exclaims. "She took the rose!"

"Izuki, shut up! Christ!"

"It's a lovely rose," the woman says.

"Not as lovely as you," Abicus replies.

"OHHHHHH SHIT!"

"Izuki, FUCK OFF!"

The young lady looked at the magician with suspicion.

"What's your name?" she asked with a stern look on.

"Abicus. Abicus the Magnificent. And yours?"

Abicus extended his right hand. The young lady shook it.

"...Yomikawa. Aiho Yomikawa."

Abicus knelt over and kissed the top of her hand.

"OHHHHHH-"

"Izuki, I SWEAR TO GOD!"

Abicus looks up, making eye contact with her.

"It's a lovely name...but not as lovely as-"

Yomikawa swiftly pulled her hand back.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it the first time. Listen, Abicus. You watch where you're going from now on. I'll let you off the hook this time but some people might not be so forgiving. You got that?"

"My my, all these warning make you sound like a cop."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. But don't get the wrong idea. Everyone gets the rundown."

"Ah."

Abicus suddenly remembered he's being chased down by a caped man who could kill him in one blow.

"Well, I must be going. Take care maiden."

He blew a kiss and turned to walk away. Then he stopped and looked back at her.

"Oh, and check your right pocket. Taa-taa."

As he walked off in the opposite direction, Yomikawa did as she was directed to and pulled up a folded up piece of paper. She unfolded it and it said "Call me: 555-5555" while featuring a cartoon depiction of Abicus' winking face. Yomikawa's squinted and frowned, her left eye twitching. She stuffed the paper back in her pocket and after her hand dug into it for a moment, she abruptly froze. She stood with her a eyes wide open and her pupils dilated for about four seconds. Her cheeks rose from a soft pink to a deep red as her mouth slowly opens.

She looked forward with a look of rage that could easily frighten a small animal anybody with a weak heart to death. Then she sprinted ahead while knocking a few people out of the way with the strength of a NFL linebacker. As she reached the end of the curb she looked to her left, forward, then right. The perverted magician was long gone.

Oddly enough, judging from the speed she was running and the speed he was walking, she should have caught up to him or at the very least spotted him somewhere down the block.

She reached into her left pocket and pulled out a flip phone at hypersonic speed. She dialed a few numbers faster than the untrained eye could detect. After a few dials, she was connected to a familiar soft voiced woman.

"Oh, hi Yomikawa," Tessou Tsuzuri answered from the other end of the phone. "Is there a problem? It's odd that you'd be calling me during school hours unless it was an emergency-"

"Oh, there's a problem alright," Yomikawa replied in an infuriated tone. "Some bastard esper STOLE MY PANTIEEEEEEEEEES!"

Tessou fumbled her phone in her hand and nearly fell off her computer chair.

Various citizens, students and the sparse adults around turned their attention to the enraged Yomikawa who continued to shout into her poor cell phone as it nearly shattered it in her hands.

"Get me Anti-Skill! Get me Judgement! Get me a Goddamn a janitor! Because when I'm done with that son of a bitch, they're going to need buckets to gather what's left of himmmmmmmmmm!"

All of the students in the Macronall's down the block are stunned with fear after hearing the pissed off Yomikawa.

"Oh shit," Izuki calmly said.

He looked at his friend with suspicion.

"Oh, no. That's actually an appropriate reaction given the circumstances that have transpired before us." He shook in terror while he grabbed his biceps as if temperature suddenly dropped several degrees. "I can only imagine the unimaginable pain that poor soul will go through once he's face to face with Ms. Yomikawa's wrath."

"Melodramatic much?" Izuki then pulled out a light blue flip phone and started typing a message with his thumb. "I gotta tell someone about this."


	8. Chapter 2 Part 5

11:36 PM

At a Certain High School in a certain classroom, a very short young pink haired woman that could easily be mistaken for an elementary school stood upon a series of books to elevate herself past a podium. She spoke with a very sunny disposition.

"...and that class, is all of the contributions the theory of relativity has made in the scientific community."

In spite of her cheerful tone, the majority of students sat motionless, feigning attentiveness. No one would dare do anything to upset Tsukuyomi Komoe who was easily prone to crying, further exaggerating and complicating the matter surrounding her true age. Don't let her underdeveloped appearance fool you. She's the second oldest person in this story.

A rather stout man with smooth black hair opened the door and peered in without fully entering the room.

"Ms. Komoe," he said in a low voice, motioning her with his right hand to come outside. "A word please."

"Ah," she replied before turning back to face her students. "Now class, be good while I'm gone. It's okay to talk but please be respectful of the fact that there's a conversation happening outside."

With that, she hopped off the books and quickly walked over to the door, closing it upon exiting. The class immediately erupted in various casual dribble as if they timed her from the moment she started walking to when the door closed.

A light-blue haired student with squinty eyes slouched in his seat with his hands behind his head. His name is Aogami Pierce.

"God," he said in a playful manner. "The only thing rewarding about these classes is the lovely Ms. Komoe. I'd do anything in a half to spend a summer in cram school with her. Or maybe some one-on-one tutoring if you catch my drift."

The student sitting on his left had spiky blonde hair and dark blue sunglasses. However, they couldn't hold back his laid back expression and wide smile.

"Of course," Tsuchimikado Murihado replied in a casual tone. He mirrored Aogami's pose until he felt a vibration emanating from his right pocket. He rummaged through it for a few seconds before pulling out a dark blue flip phone. No one can see it but his eyes astutely scan the message.

"What's that?" Aogami inquired. "Is it a message from one of your honies? Or does dear little sister require some assistance?"

"Or," Tsuchimikado responded without losing his cool. "It's shut the fuck up and take a look at this text message."

Aogami complied with the demands, leaning over to silently run through the contents of the message. After he finished, he dropped back in his seat and howls.

"Ohhhhh myyyyy Gawwwwd. That's the best slash most terrifying news I've heard all day."

"Well shit," Tsuchimikado agreed, flipping his phone back with one hand without looking at it. "Esper or not, I'd hate to be the poor soul that rubs Ms. Yomikawa the wrong way."

A certain spiky black haired student sitting behind Tsuchimikado had his head laid down. After hearing that last sentence, he raised his face to look up.

"What happened to Ms. Yomikawa?" he beckoned.

"Whoops," Tsuchimikado sarcastically responded. "Did I say that out loud?"

"Now you've done it," Aogami joined in. "You've awakened the beast. Buuuuuut, since he's already awake, may as well spill the beans."

Aogami scooted his desk closer to the spiky haired boy who seemed to be struggling with consciousness. But before he could utter a word, Tsuchimikado opened his mouth.

"Some sad sap totally stole Ms. Yomikawa's panties in broad daylight."

Aogami turned his head around and frowned, letting out a long, annoying wail.

"I wanted to be the one to tell him!"

"Yeah, I know," Tsuchimikado replied while sitting back in his chair with his hands behind his head. "I wanted to steal your thunder. Oh, and he was totally an esper wearing some old fashioned magician outfit. With a top hat, a suit and everything. He even had a cape and a 'wand.'"

"At least let me tell him the details!"

"Nah."

While Aogami complained more to the clearly apathetic Tsuchimikado, The Spiky Haired Boy blinked a few before sighing and putting his head back down.

"Your jokes are always tasteless," he said in a muffled voice. "I know I'm not the smartest guy around, but if you're going to lie to me, at least make it sound believable. No need to insult my intelligence."

Tsuchimikado leaned towards him and smiled.

"Really Kami-yan? After all the weird shit that's happened in Academy City, let alone the entire world, you cross the line a magician who can rob a badass super cop in broad daylight and get away with it?"

Touma Kamijou is an unremarkable high school student. His grades are average and he doesn't participate in any extracurricular activities. He's not particularly good at anything and could easily be lost in a crowd of people. His entire life has seemingly been plagued with mediocrity and misfortune. And yet…

Touma raised his head so only his eyes are visible. His brow indicated that he's just about had it with these two jerkasses.

"It's not even that. It's that you guys aren't exactly credible sources of information."

Tschimakado's expression didn't change in spite of the criticism.

"Kami-yan. I'm hurt. Honestly."

Touma put his head back down.

"Fuck off."

"Kamijou!" Ms. Komoe's prepubescent sounding voice echoed from the front of the room. Touma's body stiffened to an erect posture as he let out a yelp. "That is language inappropriate for an educational facility! After school detention!"

"Oh, come on," Touma defended before realizing the futility of trying to justify himself. He sighed before putting his head back down.

"Don't you 'come on' me, young man!"

Aogami poorly contained his laughter by putting his hands against his mouth and spasming.

"And the same goes for you Mr. Pierce!"

"That's fine. Any detention with you is a blessing in disguise."

Komoe puffed her cheeks in the most endearing way imaginable at the fact that her authority was being undermined. She turned her attention to the rest of the class, with various male students trying their best to hide their laughter. After one look from her, they all sat straight faced with their hands folded.

"Anyway," Komoe continued. "Ms. Yomikawa has had an… unfortunate accident this morning."

The class grew dimly quiet. Touma made his eyes visible again.

"I can't reveal the details but next period gym has been canceled. In place, students will be required to have a mandatory study hall in the gymnasium."

The class erupted with groans. Touma's pupils dilated. He quickly stood up.

"So it's true?!" he shouted, drawing the attention of his classmates.

"Touma!" Komoe yells. "I won't tolerate these interruptions! After school detention!"

Touma's mouth dropped as a faint gasp escapes it. Various students chuckled.

"Stupid Kamijou," a girl whispered.

"That clown," a boy muttered.

"Class!" Komoe shouted. "Settle down!"

Tsuchimikado raised his arms in the most conspicuous way possible.

"Piss, shit, damn, hell, ass!"

"Motoharu-san! After school detention!"

"But it's not my fault! Kami-yan put me up to it! He knows I can't turn down a good bribe!"

Touma clenched his right fist.

"Tsuuuuuuchiiiiiimikadoooooooo…" he growled as he grinded his teeth together. The class erupt in laughter.

"DETENTION!" Komoe shouts. "DETENTION FOR EVERYONEEEEEEE!"

"This is all your fault, Kamijo," Aogami said while facing Touma.

"BUT YOU WERE JUST SAYING HOW YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE DETENTION WITH MS. KAMOE!" Touma shouted while nearly picking up his desk and slamming it.

"Yeah Kamijou," a boy three seats to the right of Aogami agreed.

"Fucking Kamijou," a third boy whispered.

"Idiot," a girl whispered.

"I bet he gets no ass," another boy whispered.

Tsuchimikado turned his grinning face towards Touma. The unfortunate boy at the center of the verbal onslaught sighed, sinking into his seat and putting his head back down. He turned to the left to catch a glimpse of the technologically advanced scenery known as Academy City.

(Just my rotten luck…)

(Just my rotten luck...)

Saitama stood atop of the highest building he could find. He looked down at the city with annoyance and slight frustration.

(I lost a magician in a huge city I know nothing about.)

His pupils shifted to the left. Everyone in his field of vision looked like ants but regardless he could spot that flowing cape and out of style top hat from a mile away. If it they were around, that is.

(At least I'm somewhere in Japan. I think… I hope… Come to think of it, how have I never heard of this place? I've been living in Z-City for like, ever. You'd think I'd be aware of an entire city, especially one this far ahead in the technology department. Or one that's seemingly populated by kids. What's up with that? Then again, I was never really an expert in geography so…)

Saitama scratched his chin. He eventually sighed and slouches.

(I wish I could just punch out all of my problems. This critical thinking is ruining my self-esteem...Oh well…)

Saitama stepped off the edge of the building and quickly descended towards the ground in an upright position with his arms folded as if he is waiting for a very slow elevator. His cape flapped in the wind.

(Where's Genos when you need him?)

He landed on a sidewalk with no damage from the fall.

"Oh shit," a nearby student said as he stumbles over. "A flying man."

Saitama turned to him.

"Technically, that was a fall-I mean-greetings, citizen," he said waving his right hand. "Have you seen a really old guy dressed as a magician?"

"N-no."

Saitama closed his eyes and inhaled before reopening them.

"Fuck." with an impatient expression, he turned around. Then he turned his head to the student and waved at him with his left hand.

"Well, stay in school."

He jumped into the air. The student sat on his rear, staring at the strange man who seemed to be lifted from a western comic book.

(Maybe I should draw a picture…)


	9. Chapter 2 Part 6

11:44 PM

Abicus skipped down a city block, occasionally clicking his heels in midair. He waved his left hand in a circular motion and made a rose appear and handed it to a young woman with shoulder length black hair. He stopped in front of her, showing his palms.

"Alakazeemo," he began. He then quickly brought his hands down before raising them back up. "Alakazingo!"

A bouquet of roses appeared in his palm. He handed it to the dumbfounded woman before taking her left hand and kissing it. He then hopped away and disappeared into the crowd ahead. The woman blinked for a few seconds before slapping her thigh. Her pupils dilated.

In another block far away, Abicus merrily skipped down a block and set his sights on a woman who had brown hair in a pony tail. She was holding a box while standing in front the back seat of a blue car. He sinisterly rubbed his his hands together as he put on a mischievous grin. He skipped in her direction as he swung his wand in a circular motion.

"Alakazheemo…" he began. However, he was abruptly halted after tripping over something. He tried to use his hands to cushion his fall but upon impact but his body weight was unevenly distributed between his hands so he ended up falling on his face anyway. His hat flew off his head revealing hair missing from the entire top of his scalp.

"Ow! exclaims Misaka to make her sudden pain apparent to the clumsy old man who should watch where he's going."

"That's my line." Abicus rubbed his face with both hands without looking at the little girl he tripped over. "You know… Minus the whole Misaka bit."

As he continued to rub his nose, Abicus looked up to see the young lady boarding the passenger seat of the blue car. He gasped as it drives away and took a moment to wallow in his missed opportunity. He turned to face the young girl who is now looking up at him with curiosity while returning his own look of disdain.

"Way to go brat. You let my target get away."

"Target? Misaka asks out of innocent curiosity."

The annoying brat's mouth dropped open and her eyes sparkled as she gasped and excitement.

"Are you some sort of spy?! Misaka inquires further in an attempt to get closer to the truth."

This little girl talks like novella, Abicus pondered.

"Yeah, I'm a secret spy and you just skewered my priorities. Good job."

She then squinted at Abicus which only slightly irritated him.

"What?"

"You're lying, Misaka says taking note at the condescending and sarcastic tone the stranger has taken with her, folding her arms to further indicate disapproval. Misaka suspects you must be some sort of pervert. Why else would you call an unsuspecting young lady a "target?" Misaka has every right to contact the authorities you know, Misaka says further prodding and criticizing the creepy, perverted bald man."

(This cheeky little shit.)

Abicus, in spite of how true those sentiments were, feels his heart rate increase for a second. He composed himself, rationalizing that the child didn't know any better. That and he had a soft spot for kids but only when they behaved themselves.

"...Yeah, well...you smell. So..."

Abicus leaned over and stuck his tongue out. As the little girl angrily gasped, he kicked up his hat and it twirled as it floated toward the top of his head. He adjusted it slightly before walking away.

"You can't talk to Misaka like that! Misaka exclaims, voicing her disdain for the way the rude bald man has talked to her, shaking her little arms to further signify her ang- oh, he's gone."

While Last Order was complaining, Abicus has seemingly vanished out of sight. It was odd considering he couldn't have gotten so far he was out of sight at the speed he was walking. A white plastic bag blew in front of her obscuring her view of him for about a second but she did not pay much attention to it. She thought for a second and reasoned that he couldn't have possibly jumped out of sight in such a short amount of time, especially considering that there was a road on his left and a building on his right. She considered that he was an esper and simply teleported out of sight at the last second.

Last Order pouted for a moment. She folded her arms again before turning her attention to a bench. She walked over to it and hopped on it without looking where she would land. When her rear made contact with the bench, her eyes widened.

A few moments later, Accelerator opened an ice cream shop door with his left foot. His left hand was occupied by a vanilla and chocolate soft served ice cream cones with white plastic spoons in them. He had his typical bitter "fuck everything" look on as he walked towards the bench a few feet away.

"Seriously kid, how hard is it to stand still in one spot for five min…"

His voice trails off as he noticed Last Order sniffing and brushing her eyes with her tiny wrists.

"Oh great, did you cut your knee or something?"

Last Order looked up to Accelerator with streams of tears running down her cheek.

"Ac-Ac-Acelera-ra-ra-ratooooooooor."

Accelerator's mouth hung slightly agape. He sighed, kneeling over to place the ice cream cones on the bench next to her. While on her level, he looked her directly in the eyes.

"What happened?"

"Misaka *sniff* wa-wa-was outside *sniff* because she-she-she saw a taxi with an advertisement for-for-for Misaka's fav-a-a-a-aaaaaa-"

"Get to the point."

As Last Order sniffed, a stream of mucus went up her left nostril.

"Misaka's panties were stolen!"

Accelerator looked at her with a blank expression for a few seconds as if his doctor just told him he tested positive for an incurable disease.

"What...?" The tone of his voice was soft spoken as if he could not comprehend the utter absurdity of what he had just heard. That soft voice would soon turn into a seething roar. "What?! How the hell did something like that even happen so quickly?! Why didn't you shout for me?!"

"Because...he u-u-used some sort of abil-abil *sniff* abilityyyyyyyyy. All he did was touch Misaka and-and-and before Misaka knew it... *sniff* they were gone along with the th-th-thi-eee-eeeef, Misaka reports *sniff* still recovering from the shock of the *sniff* shock of the incident."

Accelerator looked at Last Order for a few seconds as she continued to sniff. In those few seconds, many violent thoughts ran through his mind. He then slowly stood up, pulling out a white flip phone from his back pocket. He typed three digits and a tiny window popped up on the bottom right corner of the screen, revealing a list of numbers beginning with them. He pressed the call button on the first one. A tone rang four times before taking him to a pre-recorded message.

"Hello, this is Yomikawa Aiho! I can't be reached at the moment so-"

Accelerator clicked his teeth and pressed the hang up button.

"God fucking dammit," he said under his breath. This time, he scrolled down to the recent calls display and pressed call on the second number. After a few rings, the other line finally picked up.

"Hell-" a relaxed female voice said from the other side of the line.

"Stow it Yoshikawa. Get your ass to the ice cream shop not too far from home."

The female voice on the other end belonged to Yoshikawa Kikyou, a scientist who was also good friends with Yomikawa and sometimes babysitter to Accelerator and Last Order.

"And to what do I owe this favor for?"

Accelerator squeezed his phone so hard his hand started shaking.

"Last Order's had an accident...I'm going to take care of it but I can't do anything if I have to baby sit her at the same time."

"What sort of accident?"

Accelerator didn't feel the need to further explain himself. If he said the situation was dire, that alone should be enough to signify that immediate action needed to be taken. Or at least that's how he rationalized not being able to protect Last Order when the time came to it. But his pride wouldn't allow him to utter those thoughts out loud.

"...A bad one. Look, can you get over here or not? I have no problem flying her home but I don't like wasting battery life on things I don't need to."

"You said the ice cream shop, right? Gimme five minutes."

With that Accelerator pressed the red hang up button on his phone and flipped it closed. He shut his eyes to soothe his rage for a moment. Upon opening them, he looks around the immediate vicinity. Last Order's sniffling has lessened but she looks up at Accelerator with tears still falling from her eyes as he observes their surroundings.

Accelerator walked off a few feet to his left towards a light post. A white plastic bag was stuck on it at the middle. He grabbed it and pressed a button on the electrode. In a second, every every molecule of dirt was suspended from the bag and was blown away by the sparse amount of wind present. He walked over to the dumbfounded but still teary eyed Last Order and held the plastic bag in front of her.

"Put this on."

"NO!"

"Oh yeah? So you want to wait out here without any panties, hm? Or perhaps you'd like to catch a cold? What if it rains, hm? Or maybe you secretly like going commando, is that it? Hmm?!"

"..."

Last Order lowered her eyes in silence. Then she sniffled.

"Then put it on. It'll only be until Yoshikawa shows up and I'm sure she has money to buy you a new pair."

After pausing for a second and sniffling again, she took the bag with her left hand. She was about to stick her right foot in but stopped and looks at Accelerator.

"...People are watching Misaka, Misaka sadly proclaims clinging on the every precious bit of dignity she has left-arghhh."

She lets out a slight groan as Accelerator grabbed her by the left wrist and walked her over to a small space between the ice cream shop and the next building. He lightly swung her over to the space and folded his arms, looking away. He can hear the sound of the plastic bag swishing for what seems like thirty seconds.

"What's taking so long?" Accelerator asks.

"Don't look! Misaka replies instantly, stopping Accelerator from receiving a federal charge."

Accelerator's clicked his teeth and was about to turn and berate her for saying something so utterly stupid but stopped himself.

"Like you have to tell me…"

After about five seconds, Last Order speaks.

"Oka- *sniff* okay…"

Without fulling turning his head the left, Accelerator peered at the still saddened little girl.

"What did he look like?"

Last Order looked up at Accelerator with her mouth hanging open slightly.

"Well?"

"A bald*sniff* a bald *sniff* a bald man with a c-c-c-cape and-and-and *snff* and…"

"Bald man with a cape. Got it. That narrows it down to quite a few people. That's enough for me go on. Gimmie your phone." Last Order dug around in the pocket of the her white lab coat. She handed Accelerator a pink cell phone that had flowers and sparkles for a design. He snatcheed it and dialed three numbers before handing it back. The window for displaying the contacts beginning with that number highlighted Accelerator's name. Last Order looks at him confused. "If you see him first then give me a call. I'll be over there in a heartbeat. Which way did he go? Did he walk or run?"

Last Order slowly raised a finger to her left. "Th-th *sniff* that way...B-but Misaka thinks he's a teleporter…"

(Dammit. Then he could be anywhere right now...Well, not necessarily actually. Depending on his range, he can only cover any distance between a few feet to a little under or over a hundred meters per "jump." So he's either long gone or within hunting range. If that's the case, the best thing to do would be to leave the brat here for Yoshikawa so I can track him as soon as possible. I don't want to leave Last Order alone...but...Dammit…! It's not like she'll get kidnapped within the span of five minut...)

As Accelerator scowled and gritted his teeth, he saw Yoshikawa's car at the end of the block.

(Huh, I guess she's not so useless after all. Still, that was pretty fast. It's like it came here exactly at the time I needed it to because it knows I need to move as quickly as possible… sounds like hasty writing. But whatever.)

Accelerator bow faced and began walking.

"Where are you going? What are you planning to do? asks Misaka, unsure of Accelerator's objectives."

Isn't it obvious? I'm gonna find that sunva bitch and wring out every drop of blood from his body until he gives me what I want...

Is what Accelerator wanted to say but he knew saying that would only make Last Order whine. He grabbed the plastic spoon protruding out of the melting vanilla ice cream cone and licked the ice cream off. He placed it in his side pocket and then picked up both of the cones. He walked over to Last Order and handed them to her. After he does so, he walked in the other direction again.

"'Wait! You're not going to-"

"He went this way right?" Accelerator interrupts, giving Last Order enough time to answer. "Remember, you see anything, give me a call."

Accelerator kicked of his left foot and flew several meters down the block in seconds. Last Order ran past the park bench.

"'Acceleratooooor! Don't do anything rash!' Misaka pleads to Accelerator's clearly waning sense of humanity…"

Last Order's voice trailed off as she realizes the futility of her pleading. She sighed and looked at Accelerator as he get smaller. She walk up to the bench and slowly takes a seat. She stared forward at nothing in particular with a sad look on her face.

"Misaka is too upset to enjoy the tasty ice cream Accelerator has left for her…" she said. After a few seconds passed, she chomped on the top of the vanilla one. "Okay…*sniff* maybe not that upset…"


	10. Chapter 2 Part 7

11:56 AM

Last Order was an incomplete clone of the third ranked Level 5 esper in Academy City. That is to say, she was an incomplete clone of the third most powerful person in the city as recognized by the city's database. Long story short, the cloning procedure that created her was halted abruptly upon cancellation of the project, resulting in a childlike appearance of the source material. However, the same cannot be said for the rest of them.

In an undisclosed alleyway, a girl who resembled a teenaged version of Last Order, minus the protruding lock of hair, knelt over to closely observe a stray white kitten drinking out of the bowl of milk laid before her. She was wearing the same uniform as the girls who felt the wrath of Abicus earlier. She had night vision goggles over her head and unlike Last Order, her eyes were truly blank and hallway open as if she were constantly tired or bored. A black violin case sits on a wall on her left. She looked up towards the blue sky.

(There's been a breach in the Network, reports Misaka #10032.)

Elsewhere, another girl who looked exactly like her carried a black violin case over her back as she stood on the side walk among a group of students from several schools. The street lights turned red and all of the students walked past her, some taking quick glances at the large case she had hoisted over her right shoulder.

(Yes there has, agrees Misaka #10356.)

In another district of Academy City, another girl sharing this appearance sat at a table outside of a restaurant. A black violin case sat in the chair opposite her.

(This is unacceptable, states Misaka #12044.)

In a park where children were playing, one of the clones poke a log with a stick so a caterpillar could crawl on it.

(No, this is an outrage, replies Misaka #10039.)

In a meadow near the outskirts of the city, a clone laid sprawled out on the grass with her violin case laid a foot on her right.

(Swift action must be taken, adds in Misaka #19090 with a pinch of rage.)

Elsewhere, a clone stared blankly with her mouth open at an orange wall with a fresh coat of paint.

(Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.)

If you haven't already caught on, the clones have a hive mind connecting all of their thoughts and feelings together. That isn't to say that they can't have individual thoughts but rather they can mentally communicate with one another by converting brain signals into electrical impulses. But essentially, it is a single mind communicating through multiple bodies. This is done through Last Order who basically serves as their Wifi hotspot. This is known as the Misaka Network.

Like when the least developed clone has had something precious stolen from her.

The girl in the alley stood up. The cat looked up, startled.

(I agree #13577, states Misaka with determination and bloodlust.)

The girl walked over to the violin case and unhinged the lock on top before doing the same to the one at the bottom. The contents of it are revealed to be machine gun parts. In a few short minutes, she reassembled it into the weapon it was intended to be. The large machine gun clicked as she grasps it steady with both hands.

(We cannot let this slide.)


	11. Chapter 2 Part 8

Tokiwadai Middle School, Academy City, 11:57 AM

You're probably wondering how the name Misaka factors into this series of events. Yes you are, shut up. That happened to be the last name of the source material, the third ranked Level 5 esper of Academy City, Mikoto Misaka, also known as Railgun. She earned the nickname from being an insanely powerful electromaster, being able to turn even a simple yen coin into a devastating weapon. Many have felt the sting of her powerful abilities in combat. However, at that moment…

"Achoo!"

...She was losing a showdown with a common cold.

She laid in her bed underneath her sheets with an ice pack wrapped around her head. A small, pale hand stuck a high tech thermostat in her mouth.

"Hey," Mikoto replied in a stuffy voice before taking it out of her mouth. "Wush tha big idea?"

The same hand grabbed Mikoto by the wrist and put the thermostat back in her mouth like a doting mother.

"Don't make such a fuss, sissy," a pig tailed girl replied. "I have to take your temperature to further confirm you're in no condition to leave the confines of our lovely love shack."

"Thash ah funny way of shaying 'dorm.' And I'm telling you, I'm fine."

The pig-tailed girl took the thermostat out of Mikoto's mouth and looked at the blue screen displaying white numbers.

"Does 110 degrees sound fine to you?" the pig-tailed girl replied while she showed Mikoto the numbers and pointed at them with her free hand. "I should have never let you leave this morning. I mean, I know you're fine and hotter than a thousand suns but this qualifies as 'absolutely not fine.' Disaster Level Demon."

"Arghhhh. Kuroko, you're killing me. Itsh not that sherioush."

Shirai Kuroko was Mikoto's roommate at Tokiwadai Middle School, an all girls dormitory middle school for elite espers. And she is madly in love with Mikoto.

"Oh sissy," Kuroko melodramatically replied while posing as if she were Juliet from Romeo and Juliet witnessing her lover dying in the climax of the play. "Any time you're in a state of distress is a disaster. And so, as you're steadfast companion and lover…"

*FWISH!* *FWISH!*

Kuroko teleported out of the room and reappeared in a second holding a wooden tray carrying a bowl of steaming vegetable and noodle soup.

"I'd do anything to ensure your recovery!"

Kuroko placed the tray on Mikoto's lap, who sat upright with her arms folded.

"We're not allowed to ushe our abilitieh in the dorms, Kuroko," Mikoto said bitterly. She really did not want the help.

"Like I said, anything to ensure your recovery!"

Mikoto looked down on the steaming soup.

"It doeshn't make shense to try and keep my head cool while keeping my shtomach hot."

Kuroko waved her index finger to the side.

"Oh sissy, you of all people should know that hot foods actually decrease your body temperature to compensate for the added heat."

"Oh right...well, shtill...this ish a bit much."

Kuroko teleported on the left side of Mikoto's bed and leaned close to her face, making her slightly jump.

"Oh sissy, are you sure you wouldn't like me to keep you company?"

*FWISH!*

She then teleported to the right side and dramatically posed as if she were being painted by a famous artist.

"I know how lonely it can be all cramped up in this room all by yourself for eight hours a day."

"You're a year younger than me sho we have different classhes regardlessh."

*FWISH!*

Kuroko teleported on the left side of the bed and placed her arms around Mikoto's head while melodramatically looking to the side.

"Yes, sissy. Not even time can sever the bond we share. But not matter how painful it may be, you must endure!"

"I think I'll manage…"

*FWISH!*

"But perhaps, it may be too much for your aching heart to handle. I can tell, it weeps for my presence."

A vein appeared on the left side of Mikoto's forehead.

"Kuroko…"

*FWISH!*

"And so, in a totally selfless and non perverted act of love, I shall sacrifice my school time and spend the rest of day with you so we can be near each other in both heart and body."

Mikoto closed her eyes and clenched her fists.

*FWISH!*

"And now, I must seal our pact with a kiss…"

Kuroko puckered her lips and leaned into Mikoto's face.

No one ever heard from Kuroko Shirai ever again.

Just kidding.

Blue sparks could be seen from the window of their dormitory of Tokiwadai Middle School as Kuroko's screams were drowned by the sound of crackling electricity.

Kuroko's blackened body twitched on the floor as Mikoto took a sip from the spoon.

"Shoup's not bad. Ssssssssip."

Kuroko exited the door of her dorm room with a satchel around her shoulder. She turns around to face Mikoto.

"Now sissy, don't get too comfortable. I'll be stopping by the rest of your classes to pick up your homework. You didn't become Academy City's third ranked Level-5 by having poor grades."

"The two aren't related!"

"If you need me for anything, don't hesitate to call. Okay then, byeeeeee! And don't forget to think about me! Also, I took the liberty of putting a fresh uniform and underwear for you should you gather the energy and decide to bath your succulent body. And I'm honestly still surprised that you still have a soft spot for cartoon frogs on your panties. A young lady dress modestly on the outside and revealing on the inside which is why I also left a lingerie magazine under your pillow for you to pick out a sexy, mature pair of undergar-"

Kuroko teleported behind the door upon seeing Misaka emitting blue sparks all over her body. A small bolt of electricity weak enough not to burn wood hit the door. She gently pushed it and it made clicking sound upon closing, signifying that it was locked.

Kuroko looked at the down on the ground with a nostalgic smile from the bottom of her heart.

"Oh sissy," she silently proclaimed. "It's never a dull moment when you're around."

She turned to her right and began walking down the hallway of her dorm. Then all of a sudden, a small device on her satchel vibrates. She touched the bulge and the tiny, rectangular nail file like device appeared in her left hand. She grabbed the long ends of them and a tiny strip of film appeared connecting both ends. The light voice of a Uiharu Kazari can be heard coming from it.

"Kuroko!" she exclaimed. "We've got an emergency in District 7! Two Tokiwadai students had their panties stolen by an unknown esper while on their lunch break!"

"District 7, huh? What are the details of the theft?"

"They reported that a pale, old man dressed up as an old time magician tapped them on the shoulders and before they could realize it, their panties were gone! And the culprit along with them!"

Kuroko looks baffled.

"This sounds like a bad campfire story for primary school girls."

"Nevermind that! You need you to rush over there, ASAP!"

Kuroko sighs.

"What does the culprit look like?"

"Umm, umm…"

A second of silence passes by.

"He's about 5'7, wears a top hat and cape, has a magician's wand, impossibly angular face and white hair and mustache."

"Roger that. Please send an email to all my teachers telling them I'll be missing classes. I'd do it myself but I need as much time as possible in order to track him down."

"R-right! Oh! And you'll be helping Anti-Skill as well!"

"Huh? Why does Anti-Skill need to be involved? This is an esper related cri- nevermind. Tell me later."

Kuroko touched an icon on her device and stopped the call. She then tapped her tapped her bag. A green arm band with a bobby pin appeared in her left hand. She pinned into her right sleeve. She looked out a nearby window and teleported outside of it, several feet above the nearly trimmed front yard. She teleported several feet further about halfway outside of the school grounds and continues to do so, creating the illusion that she of running in the sky while teleporting across it.

(Even though I'd much rather be spending time with my darling sissy,) Kuroko ponders as she taps her satchel, revealing a leg strap containing several thick needles. She taps her left thigh, causing the strap to wrap around it. (It appears my assistance is required. Anybody who use their abilities for perverted reasons will surely face punishment. Those who seek to cause harm to this city cannot escape Judgement.)


	12. Chapter 2 Part 9

Z-City, 12:02 PM

Genos knelt down and touched a boot shaped dent in the cement ground. He didn't have to run an analysis to recognize the boot print of his cherished friend and self proclaimed sensei. He looked up at the spot in front of him. According to several eyewitness reports, Saitama chased Abicus into this alley and then they disappeared into a rainbow patterned wormhole. Genos contacted the Hero Association upon discovering this. Missing heroes in and of itself doesn't classify as a crime and is usually part of a string of incidents related to a much larger scheme. So the Hero Association couldn't really place this event under any of their rankings unless they could pinpoint and underlying plot connected to it.

Regardless, they couldn't afford to send out all of their S-Ranked heroes to solve the crime, even though they would consist of the people most qualified to track down Saitama, since there was the possibility that a high level threat could arise. In preparation for such a catastrophe, an ample amount of S-Ranked heroes was required to be around at all times. Regardless, a few people have showed up to the premises upon discovering who the plot revolved around.

Bang, S-Rank 3, an elderly martial arts master arrived after hearing his good friend has gone missing. Child Emperor, S-Rank 5, showed up, saying he really wanted test out his detective abilities and giddied at the possibility of having to create a new machine. Atomic Samurai, S-Rank 4, arrived, stating he has a certain amount of respect for anyone who aided in the alien invasion not too long ago. Mumen Rider, C-Rank 1, showed up because he felt like he owed Saitama for saving him from the Sea King. Tatsumaki, S-Rank 2, appeared for unspecified reasons but folded her arms and appeared to be very red upon teasing by Atomic Samurai. Her little sister, who one could easily mistake it the other way around due to her taller, curvaceous figure and ample chest, Fubuki, B-Rank 1, came with her fan club of body guards, refusing to state why. Additionally, the supersonic ninja Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, who wasn't even a hero, rushed the scene after getting word that his sworn rival seemingly dropped off the face of the world. The hulking Puri-Puri Prisoner, S-Rank 17, followed Sonic because he thought he was hot.

Genos handed child emperor a USB drive.

"I took a look at the the alley where Saitama-sensei and Abicus disappeared," he stated. "In that area, I observed a strange energetic anomaly but remain unsure of what to do with this information. I feel it would be more useful in your hands."

A robotic claw jutted out from Child Emperor's backpack. The tip of the claw separated into a pincer and grabbed the USB. Another claw came out from underneath the first one and the tip turned into a thick lense of sorts and moved to cover Child emperor's left eye. He scratched his chin as the claw moved to place the drive in a USB port on the side of the lense. Images flashed on the lense, displaying all sorts of charts and graphs only he could understand.

"Give me an hour and I'll come up with something," Child Emperor stated before walking off.

The remaining heroes stood in the middle of the now closed street. Police tape surrounded the alley where the abduction took place. The boot print left by Saitama was traced around in chalk earlier. Bang performed a one legged squat and remained stationary. Speed-o'-Sound watches while before doing the same thing. Puri-Puri looks at their butts from afar. Tatsumaki floated in above the ground with a magazine in front of her and a can of soda on her right. Fubuki held a magazine with both hands as she sat on the spine of a man in a suit. Another one sat opposite of her to provide lumbar support. Atomic Samurai observed the sharpness of his sword and Speed-o'-Sound looked over as if he were about to approach him.

Mumen Rider, who felt out of place among all of the S-Ranked heroes, leaned against a wall and looks off to the side. Genos stood with his arms folded three feet to his left. Mumen Rider's gaze wandered over to him unconsciously. Almost reactively, Genos' meet his gaze. Startled, Mumen Rider immediately turned his head back around as if he were caught cheating on an test.

(He's so cool.) Mumen Rider ponders to himself.

"Is there something the matter, Mumen Rider?" Genos asked.

Mumen Rider turned back around, flustered he was caught gazing.

"Oh, no. I guess my eyes just wandered without thinking. Ha. It's just...Waiting is kind of...boring."

Genos looked at Mumen Rider for a second before looking forward. He continued to speak without looking at him.

"Patience is key right now. Only Emperor Child is capable of creating a device that will allow us to follow sensei wherever he went. We can come up with a search strategy as soon we know what we're dealing with. But for now, all we can do is wait."

Mumen Rider looked down at Geno's feet. He was impatiently tapping his right foot.

"Uh-huh," Mumen Rider replied, unsure of how to respond.

Tatsumaki stretched her tiny body and lets out a yawn.

"I'm so bored!" she shouted. "Why can't Child Emperor build his dimensional hopping device any faster?!"

Atomic Samurai slowly raised his sword and then performed several quick slashes. A single leaf is chopped up into several tiny particles.

"I don't see you helping."

"Still," said Fubuki as she flipped the final page of her magazine. "If I had known the wait would be this long, I would have brought more magazines."

Bang held himself up with his right index finger as Speed-o'-Sound Sonic stands on both of his.

"Patience is the greatest virtue," said Bang as his body remained perfectly still. "I've done plenty of waiting in my long life. I don't mind doing a bit more for a friend."

The bottom of his shirt fell on his face, revealing a set of polished abs earned from decades of training. Puri-Puri gasped and blushed.

(S-such spectacular abs!)

Bang felt a mysterious chill down his spine.

"Me neither,"agreed Speed-o'-Sound. He grunted uncomfortably before crawling away on his fingers.

"Hmph," Atomic Samurai chuckled as he sheathed his sword. "Like old people don't get bored."

Bang catapulted himself off the ground, performing several midair somersaults before he landed elegantly on his left foot.

"No comment."

"Why don't we play a game?" Tatsumaki suggested while she floated as if she was laying on a bed with her jaw resting on palms.

"What are you, five?" Speed-o'-Sound Sonic criticized.

"Patience...is...key," Genos said through gritted teeth. He suddenly threw his arms to his side (not literally) and stomped off to his left, startling Mumen Rider. "WHAT'S TAKING THAT BRAT SO LONG?!"

"M-maybe," Mumen Rider nervously stutters. "We could pass the time by having a conversation…?"

Everyone looked at Mumen Rider as if this were the first thing he said all day. He gulped.

"Uh… it's just a suggestion…"

"Actually," Atomic Samurai said. "That's not a bad idea."

"Yeah," Puri-Puri Prisoner agreed. "It's a great way to kill time."

"Hpmh," Speed-o'-Sound grunted. "So you've got a use after all."

"Conversations facilitate and strengthen bonds," Bang replied.

"Well," Tatsumaki said, folding her arms and turning her head to the side. "I would have thought of that eventually...but you beat me to it so you get props."

Mumen Rider rubbed the back of his head and nervously chuckled while blushing a little.

"Oh, you guys…It's no big deal… Thanks though. All of you. E-except you, Sonic. That one was kind of backhanded."

Speed-o'-Sound glared at Mumen Rider, who responded by gulping.

"I-I-I mean Speed-o'-Sound Sonic."

Speed-o'-Sound looked at him for a few more seconds before looking off to the side.

"I guess I'll try harder next time," he muttered.

"Yeah but," Tatsumaki said, now reading the magazine her big little sister previously held. "What would we talk about? No offense, but I doubt I have much in common with any of you besides my little sissy."

Fubuki put her hands on her hip and scowled at Tatsumaki.

"That matters not," Bang replied. "A true friend is one who allows you to walk a different path."

"Basically what Master Fortune Cookie is trying to say," Atomic Samurai cut in. Ha. "Just share something you find interesting and we'll go off of that."

Bang looked at the sky.

"It's a beautiful day," he solemnly says.

"Yeah, no. We're not talking about the weather. That's the most generic and boring conversation known the man."

Tatsumaki floated towards Atomic Samurai and pointed an index finger in his face.

"You're the one who suggested we share something we find interesting. You can't just reject every suggestion you find boring. You're not running this show. And it's rude."

Atomic Samurai grunted for a second and smiles bitterly a drop of sweat went down the side of his temple.

"I didn't know the brat had manners."

"Oh, she can be nice here and there," said Fubuki . "But overall, she's a bitch."

Tatsumaki swiftly turns around to face her grinning sister.

"Don't talk about big sister like that you little brat!"

"Who are you calling little?"

Fubuki stuck her tongue out and pointed at her older sister's chest. Upon noticing, Tatsumaki starts swinging her fists at Fubuki, to which she playfully puts her hands up to defend herself.

"And what's so boring about the weather, young man?" Bang said, looking directly at Atomic Samurai.

"It's just that… There's nothing significantly noteworthy about the sky. And literally anyone could talk about it. People only talk about the weather when they have nothing else to talk about."

"...Is that not the predicament we're currently in?"

"That's not what I meant! People only bring it up when they're at the end of their rope! It's not something you start out with! You only bring up the weather when you absolutely don't have anything left to talk about or when you have something even more interesting to say afterwards! You don't start off a fight with your most powerful technique unless it's a one hit kill! And something like the weather is as weak as they come! You could never pick up chicks with that line!"

"...Since when were we talking about picking up women?"

"NO, THAT'S NOT, ARGHHHHH!"

"Good grief," Speed-o'-Sound Sonic said. "You're literally having a conversation about what to have a conversation about."

"Now, now. I may be a little senile but I think I would have noticed if we were talking about the ancient art of seducing women."

"Pffft," Atomic Samurai chuckles. "Like you have any stories worth mentioning."

Bang chuckled.

"A true hawk hides his talons."

"Eww," Tatsumaki replied. "I don't like where this conversation is going."

"Yeah," Fubuki chimed in. "Leave it to a man to talk about something as perverted as seducing women."

Puri-Puri Prisoner coughed conspicuously.

"Sorry, straight man."

"Let's talk about justice," Mumen Rider finally said after seemingly falling out of the discussion he started.

...

"Let's talk about butts," Puri-Puri Prisoner replied.

"NO," Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, Atomic Samurai, and Mumen Rider responded in unison.

"Let's talk about sensei," Genos suggested.

"Saitama has a sweet ass," Puri-Puri Prisoner replied.

"It looks like a sack of potatoes," Tatsumaki said as she twirled a strand of hair with her right index finger.

Fubuki blushed as her pupils dilate.

"I-I wouldn't know," she said as she folds her arms and looks to the side. " It's not like I've looked or anything…"

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, Atomic Samurai, Mumen Rider, Bang and Genos stared blankly at the trio as they discuss the missing bald man's sweet ass.

"That's not what I had in mind…" Genos silently said.

(Hypocrites...) Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, Atomic Samurai, and Bang think in unison.

Mumen Rider raised a finger and opens his mouth like he's about to say something but slowly puts it back down realizing the frivolity of any attempt at changing the tide of the topic at hand.


	13. Chapter 2 Part 10

Academy City, 12:15 PM

A couple of high school seniors walked down a sidewalk, the girl plastering herself toward her boyfriend's right arm.

"Oh Junpei," the young woman said. "We're so madly in love, it should be illegal in several districts."

"You sure said it Iyami," Junpei responded, blushing and looking off to the side. "And you've made me the happiest son of a gun in Academy City you beautiful angel."

"Awwww, stop!"

Iyami tugged on Junpei's arm. They walked for a few more feet in silence.

"No, but seriously. You're amazing. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me in my shitty life."

Iyami looked up at her long time lover.

"Hm? Junpei…?"

Junpei stopped walking and turns Iyami by the shoulders so that she's facing him.

"Iyami," he said, looking at directly in her sparkling brown eyes. He pulled a small, grey box out of his right pocket and knelt down in front of her. He concealed the box by holding it between his hands. "Will you-"

A bald cranium smacked the young man's hands. The box ricocheted off a fire hydrant before bouncing across the street. It opened in mid air to reveal a golden ring with a diamond on top of it. The opened box rolled into a cleaning unit which proceeded to suck it up.

Junpei looked at the service bot in utter shock as it joined a flock of its kin passing by. He gags.

"Excuse me," a caped bald man in a yellow jumpsuit asked. "But have you seen this man…"

The caped bald man's voice trailed off as when he noticed the young man hasd his attention diverted elsewhere.

"Uh... excuse me?... Kid?...Hellooooo...? YO."

(I've been saving up three years worth of paychecks to get that ring,) Junpei thinks. (I could never afford to take Iyami anywhere fancy and always used the excuse of my parents making me save for college. We almost always ate at my dorm.)

Junpei quickly turned around with despair in his face.

"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" he whispered.

"Uh… you mean besides asking you if you've seen this man before?"

"Man?! What man…"

In front of Junpei, the bald stranger held a crude and yet surprisingly accurate drawing of a magician's face, hat and evil mustache included. Junpei closed his eyes and sadly sighed before shaking his head.

"Oh. Okay." The caped bald man stood up and turned to the confused Iyami. "Have you seen this man, ma'am?"

Iyami leaned in closer and squinted at the picture. She then brought her head back.

"Nope."

"Ah. Darn. Well, sorry for interrupting you. Have a nice day."

Iyami observes the caped bald man as he jogged up to another student asking him the same question. The young man is taken aback by this stranger's outlandish appearance and sudden questioning before nodding. The caped bald man looked down and ran off to someone else who readily jumped up.

"Well that was weird," Iyami said before turning to Junpei who was hunched over on the floor as if he were preparing to do a push up. "Junpei, you wanted to ask me something?"

Junpei's eyes widened and sweat took over his face.

"Uh…" he nervously stammered. "Well…"

He looked up at Iyami's black socks and wrapped his arms around them, rubbing his face against her leg.

"Will you accompany me to the mall so we can get you some sexy leggings?"

Iyami put her hands up and giggles.

"Oh, Junpei! All that suspense for a simple request that you didn't even have to ask! This is why I love you! You always know how to make a girl laugh!"

"Yep...you know me...I'm chock full of laughs...hahahahaha..."

Iyami couldn't see this but in spite of Junpei's terribly fake laugh and smile, a fountain of tears raced across his cheeks.

Saitama stood in the corner of a busy street, displaying the crude drawing of Abicus in front of his chest.

"Excuse me…" he asked a frightened young man who picked up the pace. "Ah… excuse me sir…" Another young man straightened his back and nervously continued walking as if he didn't hear anything. "Umm… Excuse me young lady…" A girl just ran and screamed after noticing she's been talked to. "What the fuck… excuse me sir."

A young student stops in front of Saitama.

"Have you seen…"

"I don't have any money..."

"What? No, I don't want your money-"

"OKAY, FINE, TAKE IT ALL. JUST DON'T HURT ME!"

The young man threw several silver coins at Saitama's face before running off ahead of him, flailing his arms and screaming. Saitama stood still to process what has transpired. He sighed.

"These people act like they've never seen a hero for justice before," he said under his breath.

He then heard footsteps approaching him. A pale boy with white hair and red eyes who had a cane stopped ten feet away from him. He stared at Saitama, who returned the gesture albeit much less belligerently. A few seconds passed by, along with a few students who looked out of curiosity. Some ran for their lives.

"Ummm…" Saitama finally said to break the silence. "Can I help you?"

The young man didn't say anything. Instead he continued to stare at Saitama with his tiny red eyes while refusing to blink.

"Ah." Saitama held the picture of Abicus up to him. "Have you seen this man before?"

The young man reached into his pocket and takes out a plastic white spoon.

"Oh...um. Sorry, I don't have anything for you to eat."

Saitama looked at the silver coins scattered on the ground. He picked a few up with his left hand and extended his arm.

"But I can give you some cash so you can go buy yourself something to eat. Here."

The boy raised the spoon to in front of him, mimicking Saitama's movements, holding it between his index, middle finger and thumb. Saitama continued to look at him in silence.

(Oh, I see. He's just messing with me.) Saitama thought.

"Okay, well… I'm pretty busy right now...so if you're done being weird…"

The boy flicked the plastic spoon towards Saitama. In flew at high speed, creating a shockwave. Before he realized it, Saitama was knocked several meters across the street and into a dry cleaners through the display window.


	14. Between the Lines 1

I'm not entire sure what's caused this strange anomaly to occur but it seems that Academy City is yet again the target of some sort of world shattering crisis.

You say that as if this happens every other week or so.

*Inhale* No comment.

Well, regardless, if someone is using forbidden magic, it is the responsibility of The Roman Catholic Church to ensure that crime does not go unpunished.

*Exhale* *Sigh* Except it really isn't. More like you're nervous the science side might blame the Church if anything magic related causes trouble. That and you're not confident they're competent enough to deal with the situation at hand in the most effective manner. And assuming we do get out of this alive, you don't want this to be the cause of some sort of war or civil dispute and you figure the best way to prevent that mess would be by cleaning it up before it even starts.

You make it sound so dirty. I'm just trying to play my part in the world.

And by that, you mean by sitting on your ass while your pawns do the dirty work for you. You are right about one thing though. It's very doubtful that in spite of the large amount of information Academy City has regarding these so called espers that they have the magical know-how to deal with the situation at hand. If anything, they might make it worse and we just don't need that. This so called Judgement only deals with petty crimes. Putting faith in them is like the opening to some really bad joke.

Hee hee.

You find this funny?

You chastise me for being deceitful and here you are, hiding your true motives under the guise of a cool head and a call to responsibility.

...I don't know what you're insinuating.

I'm implying that you're what really worried about is the safety of Index Librorum Prohibitorum.

*Cough* *Cough* *Hack* *Wheeze* *Ahem* N-not at all. It's just that I don't trust the world's leading science community to deal with a situation regarding magic is all.

Uh-huh. Isn't that what you accused me of doing?

...That and I don't trust that boy to do what's right when the time comes to it.

Oh yee of little faith. When will you learn to believe in that young man? He's played a significant role in saving our rumps on many occasions. If I do recall correctly, he even did your job for you once a few times. Might I remind you of the Alchemist? Or the Oriana Thompson incident? Hey, remember that time he punched you in the face? Or that other time he punched you in the face?

... I will await Kaori Kanzaki presence before leaving.

Oh, you needn't do that. She left a long time ago when she heard who the incident might be regarding. You can take your leave anytime you want.

…*sigh* Once again, your casual demeanor in the face of devastation is both annoying and ensuring.

I don't know what you mean. It's just business as usual.

Despite your disgusting cheerfulness, I can't help but feel uneasy. He's incompetent, awkward, a coward and has only survived this far because of his incredibly stupid and fickle luck.

Jealous much?

Don't bet your life on it. I just don't see what everyone else sees in that boy. Aside from that blessed right arm, what do people see in Touma Kamijou? *Inhale*

Well, you can have your question answered when you get there. Or you can ask him yourself.

*Exhale* Yeah, yeah.

Have fun saving the world!

Despicable woman.


	15. Chapter 3 Part 1

**CHAPTER 3**

 **Magic vs Magic Breaker.**  
 _ **Also, Two _Crazy White Guys Destroy a City Block.**_

Academy City, 12:28 PM

Several blue military grade vans sped down a street. Anti-Skill was given access to the city's crossing light network. So any intersection they would approach would be turned into a red light to allow them easier passing, avoiding unnecessary swerving and even more reckless driving. Following them were a series of humanoid mechs soaring several feet above the street. Many students were startled and started to go into a panic.

Yomikawa Aiho sat in the passenger seat of the leading Anti-Skill vehicle, clad in her bullet proof vest and Anti-Skill uniform. The Anti-Skill soldier that was driving nervously gripped the steering wheel.

"Dammit!" Yomikawa shouted, throwing her subordinate into a panic. "Can't this thing go any faster?!"

"N-no," the Anti-Skill soldier responded. "Um...perhaps we should send out a warning? Y-you know...To put the citizens at ease…?"

The Anti-Skill soldier could practically feel Yomikawa's judgemental gaze on the side of his temple. Shortly following, she grabbed a microphone attached about half an foot towards the right of the wheel.

"Attention citizens of Academy City," her voice blared through the speaker of the vehicle, catching the attention of anybody they passed. "This is a code blue breach. Clear the streets and stay in doors. I repeat, an very dangerous esper is on the loose. Now get the hell out of our way!"

Yomikawa slammed the microphone on to the receiver. The driver dared not speak about any of the code violations Yomikawa had broken and kept his gaze focused on the road in front of him.

"Happy?"

"I-I-I-yes."

"Not as happy as I'll be when I see that pervert bloodied on the floor, begging for mercy."


	16. Chapter 3 Part 2

A Certain High School, 12:35 PM

Touma Kamijou groaned as he sat with his head on a table in the school's cafeteria. In the bench opposite him Aogami Pierce mimicked his posture, his cell phone resting next to his right elbow. Kamijou did his best to ignore him but couldn't seem to shake off wanting to deck his annoying cohort in the face. Tsuchimikado on the other hand sticks a yen bill into a vending machine and scratches his chin as he ponders on what he would like to drink.

"Why must you torment me so?" Kamijou asked.

"Becausssssssse," Aogami jubilantly replied. "That's what buddies do."

"Any buddy of mine would respect my need to be left alone right now after today's humiliation. You sir, are a nuisance."

As Aogami wailed like a child, Tsuchimikado slammed two cans of lemonade next to Touma who lazily shifted his gaze towards them. His blonde friend ploped in the seat adjacent him, putting an arm around his shoulder.

"That's no way to act, Kami-yan," he said nonchalantly. "True friends stick with you through thick and thin. We've been through alot together, you and me. We're tighter than a fitness model's buttcheeks. Or a fat man's arteries."

"Uh…" Aogami said. "I'm here too you know."

Tsuchimikado grabbed the phone next to Aogami elbow and before he could react flung it into a doorway. It ricocheted off the wall and could be heard sliding down the hall. Aogami turned around and nearly foamed at the mouth after seeing this. He spasmed slightly.

"And now you're not. Fetch boy."

Aogami got out of his seat and ran towards the doorway.

"My baby!" he yelled before disappearing around the corner.

After counting Aogami steps, Tsuchimikado turned his attention towards Touma.

"My sources tell me that we're in quite the jam," he whispered in a serious tone.

Unbeknownst to Aogami, Tsuchimikado is spy who works with the organization Necessarius, a sect of the Anglican Church. In a nutshell, he has done a lot of violent work behind the scenes to ensure the safety of Academy City. In the past, he has fought and worked alongside Touma to in order to complete his objectives. However at the end of the day and in spite of his deceitful and mischievous nature, he is one of Touma's most loyal and reliable friends...Well, loyal at least.

Touma's eyes rotated to Tsuchimikado.

"After school detention isn't the worse thing to ever happen to us."

"True, but that's the least of our worries."

Tsuchimikado waited for his friend to pick up on what he's saying. Touma raised his head .

"...And by 'we' you mean…?"

"The entirety of Academy City and possibly the rest of the world. But mostly Academy City."

"What…?!"

"Relax Kami-yan."

Touma slaps Tsuchimikado arm off his shoulder using his right elbow.

"How can you tell me to-"

Tsuchimikado held out his index finger. It was risky to talk about these kinds of things in school but there was also the situation of Aogami Pierce to deal with. It's not that they didn't like him but rather it's in both their interest to not let him, a regular civilian and acquaintance, get involved in this mess and simply knowing was enough to put him at risk. Tsuchimikado pointed towards the double doors on his right using his thumb.

"Walk with me."

Touma and Tsuchimikado walk down an empty hallway while holding cans of lemonade.

"So," Touma whispered. "What kind of predicament are we in that would draw the attention of Necessarius to Academy City?"

"You can drop the cautious act. This hallway is completely empty and we're about to reach the exit anyway. Plus, I had someone mute the security feed until we leave the building. And even if someone happens to walk in from the entrance behind us, they'd be too far away to hear us. No one's gonna know what we're talking about."

"Oh," Touma replied in a normal volume. He was relieved but then immediately picked up a stern tone. "But that doesn't answer my question."

"Right. I guess I'll cut to the chase. Right after I take a sip of this refreshing lemonade."

Tsuchimikado took a long sip as Touma watched with an irritated look on his face. He swished the lemonade in his mouth for a few moments. Touma's scowl deepened. He hadn't taken a sip of his lemonade yet. Tsuchimikado finally swallowed the drink albeit fairly slow.

"That was to calm my nerves," he replied in a laid back manner. Although Touma couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not. He gives him the benefit of the doubt considering the fate of the world is at hand but still remained suspicious. "Legend has it that there is an artifact, or rather a pair of artifacts, that allows the user to hop between dimensions."

"Wait...what?"

"History lesson. In 1982, a magician of the English Puritan Church by the name of Dimitri Oswald attempted to psyphon the abundance of magic found within the United Kingdom. A scientist by the name of Eric Liefeld approached Oswald with a theory proposing that combining the vast amounts of magic available using the Higgs boson theory could result in dimensional travel. Liefeld was part of an English scientist group called Vortex which sought to replicate esper abilities in machinery, namely teleportation. Oswald was intrigued by the prospect and in spite of the potential controversy, there was nothing wrong in and of combining magic and science. However, the way they went about it is what caused the issue.

Tsuchimikado tooks another sip from his can of lemonade as if he is winded. He "Ahssss" afterwards.

"Using funding dedicated to other projects under the guise of creating a weather manipulation device that could prevent natural disasters, Leifeld and his team developed a sort of drill with the intent of extracting magical energy found in and under the tectonic plates of Scotland. The machine, called Gungnir, would drill several feet below the surface. It was marked with a magic circle so upon activation, it would absorb the energy from the any other areas marked. They couldn't perform the experiment in England since that would draw too much attention to the project. They assumed in the event that they were ever found out, being caught in England, aka the land under the English Monarchy, would be the worst possible scenario. Plus, they also risked surveillance from the Knights, risking their cover being blown. Oswald assisted in the creation of developing magic circles engraved into the ground across the continent of Scotland, claiming to the public that the marks were a necessary part in controlling the weather. Over the course of about a week they set up thirteen circles, twelve in order to evenly collect the magic energy with an extra one to create a point of convergence where the energy would be collected."

"This is a lot to take in," Touma finally said.

"It gets better. One of the scientists in Vortex, Robert Goldman, had a guilty conscious and fessed up to Necessarius about the whole scheme after discovering the experiment required extracting the teleportation ability out of espers forcefully, putting them in a comatose state. However, that only accounts for some of them. The grand majority of them were either stuck in a vegetative state or dead. On the day the experiment, the Vortex scientists were ambushed by various members of Necessarius but not after it was activated. The scientists gave up and were all arrested for conspiracy. Leifeld committed suicide in prison. However, Oswald never fully intended to go all the way through with the experiment and set up a spell ahead of time to have the stolen energy redirected to an outside source, two saws with rainbow patterned holders after marking them with the same magic circles. He was not arrested on sight because he called in sick but requested the experiment perform without him anyway.

"So he had the ¼ of U.K's magic energy contained within two otherwise ordinary objects. Additionally, he secretly took the teleportation abilities stored on certain drives and infused them into the saws. One thing he didn't consider however was that Gungnir could pinpoint where exactly the energy was being redirected to. So the remainder of Vortex had the machine pinpoint exactly where the saws were. He was in a shack in his backyard. Members of Necessarius were already heading to his house to arrest him but by the time they showed up, he was nowhere to be found. Vortex was disbanded."

Touma and Tsuchimikado finally reached the front exit and continued walking down a small flight of steps into a long and wide road consisting of orange and red tiles.

"He would return eleven months later appearing rabid. He claimed that he had discovered the key to interdimensional travel. He said for months he's traveled to several parallel versions of our world, meeting alternate versions of himself. Some were in the exact same scenario as he was. Others led different lives altogether and thus never had contact with the saws in the first place. In some cases, he was already busted and parallel versions of Necessarius members used his own objects against him. However, they discovered one thing.

"One version of Oswald used the saws twice within the same day. It would usually take a few weeks for members of Necessarius to pinpoint his location using Gungnir and then remotely track his specific location but they happened to be transported within the same area he was in. So naturally, he tried escaping into another dimension. However, when he cut open a wormhole, an anomaly occurred. The wormhole expanded and started sucking in Oswald along with the Necessarius members and literally everything else. The cars, the building, the ground. The city itself was being sucked into a blackhole.

Touma gulped. He thought of finally taking a sip of the lemonade but decided against it after hearing that. He deduced that he might choke on the shock of what he might hear next. The boys then took a seat against the walls of one side of the building.

"That's not all. That Oswald was planning on escaping into a parallel universe where our Oswald happened to be residing at the time. And then that universe was being sucked into the first one. The two universe were sucked into each other and were assumed to be destroyed. We can't confirm it because no one has actually seen it but having two universe implode on each other can't possibly end well. The only reason we know this happened is because our Oswald used his saws to escape at the last second. The scene he described was not good.

"And then it gets even weirder. Oswald made some claims that he's even visited entirely different realities altogether. One was a world where under the watch of a flying man and his team of superheroes called the Justice League. Another one was populated by four fingered yellow people with tiny pupils but no irises. Another was home to a bunch of people who Oswald assumed were schizophrenics at first and then later assumed were espers that seemed to be fight using certain psychic powers called Stands. Another was home to colorful anthropomorphic animals. An evil scientist from that one who Oswald, assumingly insane at this time, referred to as "Baldy McNosehair" attempted to use Oswald's Saws in a plot to rule parallel versions of his universe but that was thwarted by a bunch of golden hedgehogs and some colorful shiny rocks."

"The fuck?"

"Oswald didn't keep track of how many different worlds he visited but the trip obviously left him mentally ill. He claimed that science was a crime against humanity and blamed it for the destruction of two parallel universes. Even though he was cornered by Necessarius almost immediately upon returning, he threatened to use the saws again if they didn't let him go. The parallel Necessarius members had a version of the saws and confirmed that every alternate version of the saws were destroyed. However, a very powerful spell combined with Gungnir that could detect the presence of other versions of the saw confirmed that one pair just disappeared altogether. So they assumed what he said was true even though they had no real reason to doubt him as wild as his claims sounded. So they let him go, but before he demanded Gungnir be destroyed, effectively stopping anyone from tracking him should he leave this universe.

"After that, he fled the premises and was never heard from again. Since then however, all manner of magic dealing with dimensional travel was made illegal. So far, dimensional travel has only been proven possible through using magic from the United Kingdom. So if anyone were to attempt it again using similar methods, it would be easy to intercept the project before it ever starts."

Tsuchimikado took a sip of his lemonade as Touma watched.

"That's all."

"That's all?"

"Yeah, that's what I just said. Anymore productive questions?"

Touma became a bit irritated at the sarcastic but accurate retort but chose to ignore the snark instead of entertaining it.

"Yeah, actually. Like how exactly could the Church or the Pope or whoever just chalk dimensional travel up as illegal and just call it a day? You'd figure something as serious as dimensions collapsing would spark more counter measures."

"Well, for starters, Oswald was an incredibly skilled magician. Only a highly skilled magician who could expertly wield vast amounts of magic could actually use the saws. They couldn't really do anymore anyway since they had no way of tracking Oswald but it appeared he wasn't insane enough to use it twice in succession unless he was pursued. And there's not really much else they can do to prevent it besides outlawing the practice altogether. The Monarchy was too afraid to delve further into the matter so they never actually found out why or how the dimensional collapse occurred in the first place. They just swept it up under the rug and as far as the public knows, only a few crooked scientists were arrested. Besides, it's not like anyone could replicate the project again since the U.K became much more protective of their land."

Touma looked at his drink. Not out of thirst but to think. Not one, but two parallel versions of him and everyone he loves were destroyed and that alone was a scary thought. It was true, he was an incredibly unfortunate person but not enough the extent where he'd actually been mortally wounded in his many dangerous ventures. That isn't to say that he hasn't been close to death several times in the past. He found trouble deciding if he was even more unlucky than the Toumas who died since he now has to harbor the knowledge that they failed to protect their worlds.

Regardless...

"Dammit," Touma finally said. "What is it that made him so twisted in the first place?"

"Kami. There is no reason. In this world, some people are just twisted to begin with. But that's not the question you should be asking right now."

Tsuchimikado set his empty can on his right between himself and Touma, who looked at him with a puzzled look.

"Huh? Then what is?"

"You should be asking me what you can do to find this son of a bitch who's wielding a power he doesn't understand or respect."

"..."

"Knowing you, you were probably going to get involved in this somehow. That's just how your luck is. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if this somehow ended in you doing Necessarius' job for them."

"Yeah, but…. this is seriously messed up…"

Touma looked down at his right palm . Tsuchimikado dropped his smile and turned his head to look at him like he said something stupid.

"Yeah that's true. But think of this way; you, and everyone and everything you ever cared about and ever will care about could be destroyed if you sit this one out."

A mental image of certain white nun came to mind along with Touma's parents. Following were Ms. Komoe and Yomikawa . Then he thought of his classmates, the busty and bossy Fukiyose Seiri and the not so busty, the introverted Himegami Aisa, and even Aogami. Next to come up was Mikoto Misaka and even her friend Kuroko Shirai who is openly antagonistic towards him. Even the face of Stiyl Magnus, someone he isn't particularly on good terms with, popped up along with that of Kaori Kanzaki. And even though Tsuchimikado didn't say it, he had a little sister that he would very much like to see after all of that chaos blew over. Touma knew this.

There were too many people who would berate him if he did nothing amidst the conflict that would soon be happening in Academy City. But that wasn't what concerned him at the moment.

He squinted before clenching his right hand.

"No, you misunderstood. That didn't mean 'I'm afraid to try…'"

Tsuchimikado looked at Touma as he stood up with newfound resolve.

"That meant 'What should I do first?'"

Tsuchimikado smirked as he stood as well. But that smirk disappeared since out of nowhere, Aogami came dashing and jump kicked him in the back.

"YOU BASTAAAAAAAARDS!" he yelled as the sunglasses wearing boy flied past an awestruck Touma onto the curb. Touma's mouth dropped in shock.

"You throw my phone into the hallway and then leave me in the cafeteria by myself?!"  
Tears ran down Aogami's cheeks like a waterfall but no one could take him seriously with the way he is talking. "What kind of friends are youuuuuuu?!"

Tsuchimikado stood up and clenched his left fist, causing a vein to pulsate on the top of his hand. He smiled but was clearly pissed off.

"Well, we were talking about grown man stuff. SO WE HAD TO DITCH THE KID!"

He threw a punch into Aogami's cheek, sending him flying to the ground as he grunted. Tsuchimikado jumped into the air and released what one could interpret as a battle cry as he landed on top of Aogami. Touma watched with a limp jaw as the two wrestled on the ground. Tsuchimikado ended up getting Aogami in a neck lock.

"Dammit, Tsuchimikado!" Touma yelled, stomping his foot. "We don't have time for this!"

The boys stopped wrestling and looked at Touma. Tsuchimikado grinned.

"Of course. Business first." He helped Aogami up and put his shoulder over him. "Aogami, our little Kami-yan's in quite the predicament."

"Huh?" Aogami replied.

(Huh.) Touma thought.

Tsuchimikado was a notorious liar. One could rationalize that it was a result of him being a spy, but it could also be said that he likes messing with people. Regardless, he's been known to say some pretty eccentric things and pretty much everyone who knows this hates him for it.

"You see," Tsuchimikado continued. "There's this girl he's trying to smash."

(HUUUUUUUUUUH?)

Touma's jaw practically hit the floor.

"Ohhhh, damn!" Aogami gushed. "Our little Touma's growing up! *sniff* I always knew this day would come. I'M PROUD OF YOU BUD-"

"Yeah, shut the fuck up. But thing is. He really wants that ass. And if he has to wait 'till after school, he might just explode."

"Oh damn, that would be bad. But ah, who's the lucky lady, huh?"

Tsuchimikado was taken back to a time where Mikoto Misaka tackled Touma out of nowhere while they were walking down the block.

"Some third year from Tokiwadai."

"Ew. Touma, you pedophile. But I don't judge...much."

"Tsuuuuuuchiiiiiimakadoooooooo…" Touma angrily exclaimed as he grinded his teeth together while clenching his right hand.

"So," Tsuchimikado continued. "I'm gonna need your help on this one. Operation: Get Kami-yan Laid is underway. You down?"

Several seniors walked towards the main entrance of A Certain High School to return to their next period classes after leaving for lunch. Tsuchimikado walked towards the entrance with his hands in his pockets. Aogami walked in the other direction, bumping him in the right shoulder as they passed each other. After a few more steps of walking, Aogami swung around and pointed at him.

"Hey, you!" he yelled in a voice that practically screamed bad acting. "Do those sunglasses mean you're blind?! Why don't you watch where you're walking?!"

Tsuchimikado turned around and clenched his right fist.

"How dare you insult my sense of fashion!" he yelled with equally horrendous acting. "At least I don't have stupid blue hair! What are you, some sort of anime character?!"

Aogami got so close to Tsuchimikado's face that their foreheads were touching, forcing him to arch his back slightly.

"What did you saaaaaaaaaaaaay?!"

Tsuchimikado pushed back, turning the tables.

"You heard meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Some students turned around to observe the commotion.

"What's going on?" a girl asked.

"Are they practicing for a play?" one boy inquired.

"HE SAID HE GETS NO ASS!" Izuki yelles among the crowd.

"I WILL END YOU!" his cohort berated.

Aogami decked Tsuchimikado in the cheek with a quick left jab. His body stumbled backwards as his head faced the right.

"Have at thee!" he yelled.

Tsuchimikado responded by running forward and delivering a swift kick to Aogami's crotch. His squinty eyes shot wide open as his mouth puckered like he was doing a spit take.

"Oh snap!" a boy yelled. "First year fight!"

Suddenly, several third years were running towards the boys as they grappled on the ground, forming a circle around them and cheering them on. Tsuchimikado stood Aogami up as he had him in a necklock yet again while he futilely pulled on his forearm.

"Dude," Aogami whispered without moving his teeth. "Why'd you kick me in the nuts?"

"That sunglasses bit hurt," Tsuchimikado replied with a grin.

"Hurt my ass!"

"Okay."

At that moment, Tsuchimikado let go of Aogami who stumbled forward a bit. Then, he raised his left knee a little over his belly button before extending it, stomping Aogami in the center of his right buttcheek. His arms flailed into the air as his body made a right angle while he flew about two feet before hitting the ground. At this point, various third year boys and a few girls started shouting "Fight! Fight!"

After about a minute, a gorilla looking security guard came bursting from the front doors. Several students flew into the air as the security guard forced his way into the fight. He jumped into the air with his limbs spread out and howled. Tsuchimikado and Aogami faces turned blue as a massive shadow expands over them.

Touma Kamijou ran through the parking lot exit with no one left to stop him.


	17. Chapter 3 Part 3

12:32 PM

Saitama suddenly found himself looking at the light blue ceiling of the now empty dry cleaner's. He blinked twice, questioning what just happened. He looked at his hands to see a ripped piece of white printing paper. He bent an eyebrow.

(Awwwww man.)

The sound of footsteps and a cane approached him. He looked up and bared witness to the surprisingly powerful white haired, red eyed teenager walking through the gap in the wall, darkened by the sunlight from outside. His menacing grimace is barely visible.

"Don't worry," he bellowed with a murderous grin. "That wasn't enough to kill you but it's safe to say you probably won't be walking for a while. That is, assuming you can walk at all. But I don't need you to walk to do what I'm about to tell you to."

"Kid," Saitama said as he raised his head. "What's your damage?"

The red eyed, white haired monster stopped walking.

(What the hell? He sounds surprisingly calm for someone who just got launched across the street by a plastic spoon.)

Accelerator observed the bald man's blank expression.

(And come to think of it, his head should be a lot more damaged considering it made direct contact with the glass. But…)

Saitama's period size pupils looked coldly at Accelerator.

(...it's like nothing even happened.)

After pausing for a brief moment, Accelerator resumed walking albeit a little slower.

"My damage is with scum like you who act like they own the place. You think you can just waltz in here and fuck with Academy City's strongest unscathed? Are you mentally challenged?!"

"Huh?" Saitama said, raising an eyebrow.

Accelerator stopped in front of him and extended his left hand.

"Don't play dumb. Now fork it over and maybe I'll let you off with a broken leg or two. And that's if I'm feeling generous."

Saitama stared at the boy's hand.

"Dude, what are you talking about? I asked if you wanted some money but you didn't say anything. And then you hit me with a spoon. A pretty sturdy one at that."

Accelerator clicked his teeth. Then he kicked Saitama through a corner connecting the roof and a wall. His body twirled limply in the air.

(Whoaaaaaaaa.) he thought as he looked at the spinning scenery. He crashed into a stop sign, knocking it over while simultaneously creating a spine shaped curve a little under the sign part. A nearby woman who was walking her brown wiener dog screamed and yanked the collar back. The poor dog yelped as his tiny body flung two feet across. In spite of the passing cars, some stopped because of the image of a man soaring across the sky, Accelerator dashed towards Saitama. He grabbed him in midair by the neck and pinned him up against the wall of a nearby building.

"Okay pal. What's your esper ability?"

Saitama raised an eyebrow.

"My what?" he asked in a very confused manner. He may as well have asked him in Spanish while explaining the Theory of Relativity and the importance of putting soy sauce on your cucumbers before bedtime to fend off the evil spirits trying to take over your molecular structure.

'It didn't sound like it made much sense' would have been a simpler choice of words. But there's nothing simple about Accelerator's esper abilities. He can manipulate vectors, which means he can control the direction and velocity of objects using various calculations that would have your local physics teacher seppuku himself out of frustration. He could, for example, change the direction of your blood flow through an open wound to give you a stroke. Or he could make everyday objects such as a plastic spoon break the sound barrier with the flick of a wrist. This insanely powerful ability has branded him the title of Academy City's #1 ranked Level 5. The strongest in the city. Many in the past have tried to best him in combat before but all have failed.

That is, until that Level 0 showed up and decked him in the face but that's another story.

And for some odd reason, his ability didn't seem to have much of an effect on this stranger. Again. Accelerator reminded himself not to squeeze too hard on this stranger's neck so he didn't crush it.

He clearly didn't know who he was dealing with.

"Come on. Don't tell me you don't even know what your own ability is."

"Uh...I can punch things really hard."

Accelerator remained silent for a brief moment.

(Is this guy for real? I want to write him off as just some nut case but the fact still stands that I haven't been able to hurt him since this battle started.)

"Mine's Vector Manipulation. Although I doubt you'd understand it so I won't bother explaining it. Just know that no matter how strong you are, you can't hurt me."

(Hmmm,) Saitama though. (That's a pretty bold statement. Now, he might just be full of himself. He is at that age. But I suppose I'll test him first just to be sure. I don't want to accidentally kill a child. It'd be bad for my conscious.)

"Kid, you've been saying weird things since you showed up and haven't even bothered to explain yourself. If I weren't a responsible adult or if you were around my age, I might have to hit you."

Accelerator's pupils dilated as his brows bend. He angrily grunted.

"Don't mess with meeeeeeeeee!" he yelled as he raised Saitama and dragged him diagonally downward towards the left. He then let him go and Saitama slide across the next three buildings, leaving dents in the cement constructs until he hit the ground. His body bounced off the pavement and twirled into the air. This time he spun his body so he landed on his feet but not without stumbling back a few steps.

Accelerator's left eye twitched.

(What's this guy's deal? He should be grounded to paste by now. Why aren't any of my attacks working?)

He analyzed the unflappable bald man while trying to hide his shock. His gaze was met with a terrifyingly plain poker face.

Accelerator flashed back to the last time his ability was negated during his fight with that Level 0 several months prior. For some reason he has yet to discern, his right hand was able to bypass his Vector Manipulation. Normally any attack on Accelerator bounced off due to the vector field he emitted subconsciously. However, that Spikey Haired Boy's right hand easily ignored that and became acquainted with Accelerator's face several times that night.

(No, it's not the same. That kid was able to bypass my ability altogether. If that were the case, then I wouldn't be able to affect him at all. Any attack I've made on this guy just doesn't seem to hurt him.)

Saitama stared blankly at Accelerator as he scratched the side of his nose with his index finger.

(This kid's been looking at me for like five minutes and hasn't said anything. I think he might be gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just not my style. Plus, he's like fourteen. I ain't no creep. Agh, why don't I have any girl fans? Wait, do I even have fans?)

Saitama was exaggerating. I had only been fifteen seconds since he landed.

A sadistic smile sprawled across Accelerator's face. He cackled to himself.

(Well if I haven't been able to hurt him so far, that just means I don't have to hold back.)

Accelerator kicked off his right foot and covered the four meter gap between him and Saitama in about a second. The sidewalk was completely shattered along with the glass from all of the cars a buildings within a fifteen foot radius. He flew into Saitama, tackling him through a ten story parking lot building, reducing it to nothing but rubble and dust. Accelerator had the twisted smile of a horror movie villain or a used car salesman. Saitama looked at him blankly as they crashed out of the parking lot.

He grabbed Accelerator by the forearms using both hands. Accelerator looked down, not changing his expression. But suddenly, he was looking at the sky. Then the ground. Then the sky again. Then the ground again.

Accelerator then realized he had been thrown into the air. He gasped and then flipped himself to find equilibrium. He landed hunched over on the ground facing away from Saitama, who looked at him with an annoyed expression. Accelerator turned his head and gritted his teeth. As he got up, Saitama bolted in front of him with his arm cocked back. Accelerator's heartbeat accelerated.

Ha. I made a funny.

*Ahem* Saitama brought his arm forward and…

Saitama lightly karate chops Accelerator on the forehead and then retracted.

"There," he said. "I don't hurt kids. So now that we're done playing-"

Accelerator threw a stomp kick towards Saitama's gut. Saitama blocked it with his forearm but slid backwards nonetheless. A trail of dust and road fragments followed him. Feet sized skid marks were left in its wake.

Accelerator gritted his teeth as he looks at the expressionless bald man with a flowing cape. He thought for a second about where he was.

He changed the vectors of the air currents and created a tornado to his left, sucking up several parked cars. Saitama planted his feet firmly into the ground, sliding only mere centimeters towards it. Four cars were sucked up into the tornado. After swirling around in it once, they were viciously flung at Saitama. He effortlessly stepped to the right and then to the left, avoiding two sports cars. He then jumped two meters into the air to evade another one. He caught the last one with both hand and carefully set it down to his left.

Accelerator growled. He manipulated the vectors in the tornado to make it explode. A strong gust of wind Saitama forced back several meters. He could have stood up against it if he anticipated it but exploding tornadoes were too out of the ordinary for him to predict.

He found himself next to a massive wind turbine that was used to generate electricity for the city. He looked up out of curiosity.

"Hey, that's pretty neat."

A blade of the turbine was ripped off. The force used to tear it off bent it to the side and downward. This sent the rest of the turbine spinning quickly towards Saitama's head. Before a blade could even get within a foot of him, he swung his right fist back. The white red tipped blade bent back, making a loud metallic noise. However, this sent the turbine spinning in the other direction, causing another blade to spin towards his face. Saitama grabbed it with his left hand, making a loud metallic noise as he crushed the metal with his grip.

He looked to his right and noticed a gas station next to him. Then he looked to his left and saw a little girl holding a red balloon attached to a white string. Saitama looked at the girl with a blank expression. The girl returned the gesture.

The ripped of turbine blade sliced through the air, going past Saitama and towards a gas tank. Saitama watched the scene unfold without changing his expression. A fiery, debris filled explosion was about engulf him. With one punch, Saitama extinguished the flames and forced the debri in the opposite direction. He looked up and saw a shocked Accelerator flying towards him another turbine in his hands. He shock wasn't so much because the caped bald man extinguished the explosion so effortlessly. Rather, it was the result of almost vaporizing that little girl.

(Fucking brat. Stay the hell out of the way!)

Accelerator roared as he brought the turbine over his head and swung it down. Saitama grabbed it with both hands. An irritating noise sliced through the air. A nanosecond after hearing it, Accelerator reflected the vectors of irritating sound coming from the blade. Saitama was ready to yank the blade back but Accelerator saw his movements and twisted his arms to the side. The opposing forces bent the blade in opposite directions before ripping it apart altogether.

After landing, Accelerator kicked off and swing his part of the blade towards Saitama. He reacted by side stepping and diagonally swinging his half upwards creating a large clanging sound. The little girl watched somewhat disinterested as orange sparks and metal parts painted something like a mini firework display before her. She had watched many a action anime in her short life but never has she seen a fight of this magnitude up close before. And yet, she continued to stare unblinking and emotionless. Whether this was the result of some sort of trauma or desensitization at the hands of watching too much children's programing is unknown.

Accelerator fiercely swung his blade upward. It dragged across the ground, erupting several chunks in the process. The upper portion of Saitama's blade was demolished. He tossed it to the side. Accelerator smiled sadistically as he swung his blade downward at a speed that made a shockwave.

(Gotcha!)

Saitama swiftly turned around and delivered an upper uppercut with perfect form. A large popping sound roared along with a wind explosion. More than half of Accelerator's blade has been knocked out of sight. He only had a piece large enough to fit in his palm. Quickly recovering from his stupification, he threw his last piece with a force enough to dent the ground more than a meter beneath it. Even though he didn't need to, he hunched his body forward like a baseball player, perhaps out of frustration. However, due to his unathletic prowess, his body flopped a bit.

In a fraction of a second, the wind turbine piece was mere inches before Saitama's face. However, he wasn't even looking ahead at the moment. An add on the side of a restaurant caught his attention. It read "Bento Soup, 20% off. Today only!"

(Hmmm. Some bento soup sounds delish. Maybe I should cook some up for dinner tonight.)

A red blur from beneath Saitama's cape knocked the turbine piece upward. The little girl arced her head to capture the scene in her developing mind. Several clouds opened up as if to make way for a holier presence.

(Nah. That sounds like a lot of work. I don't know if I want to cut up all the meat tonight. I should get Genos to do it. Tell him it's some sort of dexterity training. Hehehehe…)

Accelerator dragged his foot across the ground as he kicked it. Chunks of flaming and melting pavement flew at him. He smacked away the flaming rocks and swiftly ducked under the molten pavement in a blur. He darted towards Accelerator with his left fist cocked back. Manipulating the vectors in his mouth, Accelerator blew a gust of wind strong enough to freeze Saitama in his tracks.

Accelerator kicked off and darted down the block. He would return seconds later carrying a conveniently placed steamroller. He slammed it on Saitama's frozen body. The ground quacked. A trail of dust dispersed followed by a wind explosion. The little girl yelped as she was blown back.

Accelerator cackled at the sky.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha! How do you like that fucker?! Not so nigh invulnerable now, are yo-"

Accelerator peeped his head over the edge of the steam roller to see a Saitama's twitching right arm from underneath it. It twitched a few more times before slowly forming a fist.

"Tch! Oh now you don't!"

Accelerator stomped his foot. The steamroller bounced a bit as the impact wrecked the street beneath it. Saitama lost his grip for a moment but it would return a second later. Accelerator continued to stomp his foot, causing the steamroller to make love to the pavement.

"THAT'S RIGHT! YOU CAN FIGHT BACK ALL YOU'D LIKE BUT IT'S USELESS! USSSELEEEEEEEEEEEEEESS!"

Accelerator switched to doing several of what can be describe as a mix between palm thrusts and feral scratching. It was as if he hungered for the very death of his bald prey.  
The bottom of the steamroller ricocheted off the ground several times as melody of destruction fills the air much to the delight of Accelerator.

"USELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUSELESSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSELEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSS!"  
The sound of metal being pounded reverberates through the air. The white eyed monster unleashed his fury the steam roller for a few more seconds. In his stupor driven by his emotions, he didn't notice the steam roller subtly rising. By the time he caught on, he was already fifty feet in the air and rapidly rising.

(Nah, I can't do that to Genos. I already make him do all my chores. The least I could do is cook.)

The ground beneath raised a few inches, being separated by cracks as Saitama kicked off the ground, disappearing in the flicker of a light. He shot through the steam roller, creating a rapidly expanding ball of orange and black.

Accelerator leapt in the nick of time. He was covered in smoke for a few seconds as he backed away from the explosion. However a second later a puff of smoke darted next to him. He turned to face the smoke but all he was able to make out was a red blur heading towards his face. He may have reflected the attack but he was still knocked to the ground. His body dented the street with a loud thud before bouncing off and landing culminating in him rolling around once or twice.

To his immediate surprise, he hacked up blood.

(What the hell?! I can reflect his attacks but the impact's still able to reach me? It's like he's reflecting my reflection!)

Accelerator stood and staggered a bit. However, a yellow blur stopped right in front of him. This time he stepped back and in that same motion pulled out a gun from his left pocket. Barely taking time to aim, he fired six times. Saitama effortlessly stepped around each bullet before stopping in front of Accelerator yet again. Using his right hand, he chopped the handgun completely obliterating it.

However, Accelerator slipped an evil grin. Using his right hand, he plucked a broken off piece of the gun at Saitama. The loud sound of the air being sliced was heard. Saitama was hit in the clavicle, carrying him directly into the building behind him. In a spectacular show of destruction, the building fell apart in seconds. Part of the building on the left suffered a bit as well.

Accelerator raised his arms and howled as he was drenched in a sea of dust. Several debri hit him but it either bounced off or crumbled upon impact. He let his arms slowly descend as he basked in the glorious destruction he had caused.  
"Yeah… HELL YEAH! That's right you shitty bastard! Like this city needs anymore pieces of trash stinking up the place! Crawl back to whatever corner of the darkness you came from and never show your face again if you know what's good for you! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-"

"Now that's not very nice."

Accelerator's mental state did a complete 180 as his head swung towards the direction of the voice. City ruins and dust fell as a bald cranium rose.

Saitama turned his head towards his head to the bewildered teenager with a blank expression. His cape flapped in the wind.

If asked about how he felt at that moment, you would either be greeted with a scoff and/or a sarcastic remark about how stupid that question is. Or you'd be cleaved in half depending on who you were. But he wouldn't tell you. He wouldn't admit this to anyone. He wouldn't even admit this to himself.

A lack of a certain emotion is what seperates man from monster. Historically, mankind has always found some excuse to antagonize that which they cannot handle. The forces out of their control, the powers that dictate their way of living, or even the creature that hides under your bed.

In essence, it is only human nature to give way to what it is they cannot contain or what exceeds them. A distinct lack of fear can be what separates man from monster. Fear is necessary to prevent the following through of certain actions.

In other words, man defines his own monsters.

If you asked many people in Academy City what a monster is, Accelerator may be what first came to mind.

But what do you call the things that monsters are afraid of? What do you call the things that keep the monsters up at night?

Accelerator found the answer to this question not too long ago. And for the second time, he found himself in a state of stupor caused by the all powerful hand that shattered his illusion of superiority.

You could call it Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or you could infer that it was the adrenaline. You wouldn't be wrong either way. But when he blinked, he was taken back to a familiar scene of a certain spiky haired boy fearlessly staring him down with his right fist clenched.

Accelerator blinked quickly and was returned to reality. He looked again upon a bald man with a distinct poker face.

"Hey…" Saitama began. "So, uh. Listen. You're kind of tough, I'll admit. But don't you think this fighting's kind of… pointless?"

(...Why…)

Sound didn't reach his ears. He saw his lips move but that was it. Whether it was due to him reflecting the sound vectors or his extreme state of shock is up to your interpretation. The point being he couldn't hear anything. The only thing that existed then was Accelerator and the monster whose cranium shone in the sun.

Two monsters had a staring contest.

One lost.

(...Am I missing something?)

Can you guess who?

"I mean, city destruction is probably inevitable but…"

(What power do I lack that stops me from fending off these shit bags?)

"I mean, if it's gonna happen, it may as well be for a good reason. Not two guys fighting over basically nothing."

Accelerator remembered the boy who had the courage strong enough to pierce his defenses yet again. Then he remembered the man vile and smart enough to find a way around it, Amata Kihara.

Two fists who fought for two different reasons.

(How…)

One to protect that which was precious to him.

One to gain power no matter who stood in his way.

"If you ask me, I say we leave the real destruction to the…"

Once upon a time, Last Order had been such a girl to Amata Kihara.

Once upon a time, Accelerator found himself at a fork road with those two paths.

(How can I gain the power to destroy scum bags like him?)

The world is vast. There's always someone better.

Academy City's strongest was faced with another puzzling question that drilled through his pride and pierced the shell of his dark soul. A dark soul he vowed to use to fight those darker than he is even if he can't redeem himself.

(How can I gain the power to protect her… ?)

What if he ran into someone stronger than him? An entity so overwhelmingly powerful that he can't even gauge the depths of his true strength even if he held back?

"... monsters."

Accelerator snapped out of his trance. His already small pupils dilated. His head tilted to the right and his lips barely touched.

For a second, it sounded like he choked on his own spit. Saitama raised an eyebrow in response.

"...? Come again?"

Accelerator's voice sounded like an alien language. His pitch raised tremendously and he spoke astoundingly fast.

"Killkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkillkill…"  
"I'm sorry?"

Accelerator closed the gap between the two in the fraction of a second. He extended his arm out towards Saitama who only barely noticed a the young man leaning below him.

"KILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKILLKI-"

Saitama punched Accelerator in the face, launching him several meters down the street. His body rolled away until he was nothing but a spec.

Saitama held his gaze ahead for a few seconds before turning around. He noticed the little girl from earlier staring at him. He walked up to the little girl and looked down to her. She arched her head up to look at him.

"Little girls shouldn't be playing by themselves in the street," he said.

The little girl pointed to a park behind her with many children functions such as jungle gyms. Children were playing there earlier but the sight of watching a parking lot be demolished made them lose their appetite for fun.

"I'm not alone," she insisted.

Saitama looked at the park and back at the girl. He was left speechless.

"My balloon got lost."

"...Well, it still isn't safe around here. You could get eaten by monsters. Or kidnapped."

Suddenly, the ground shook and a large scraping sound could be heard. Saitama turned around to see a brick apartment heading towards them.

"...or have an apartment thrown at you."

Saitama wrapped the girl in his cape and picked her up. The tremor's intensity increased as the building neared. Saitama leaped over a building on the right. To his surprise, the building changed directions at a right angle following him.

(There's probably people inside that building… same goes for the one we're on top of.) Saitama thought.

He jumped on top of the apartment and set down the little girl. In the event that he couldn't stop the apartment, it would be wise to set the girl down on top of the building that probably wouldn't be destroyed, in this case the oppressor. That was how Saitama rationalized it. After all, according to how this red eyed, white haired teenager's powers worked, even a plastic spoon could be used as a deadly weapon.

You know, to most people.

So it was obvious that even if the brick apartment wasn't as sturdy as the cement reinforced building he previously stood on, it would be easily demolished as a child knocking down their building blocks.

He jumped between the two buildings. The apartment was several feet away but instead of waiting for it to come to him, Saitama ran toward it. He put his arms out and lightly, for him, pushed against a brick wall on the left of the main entrance of the complex. The apartment stopped as soon as his palms made contact with the wall.

He jumped back onto the cement building. He picked up the little girl and effortlessly jumped several meters across the air. He landed in a section of the children's park and set the little girl down.

"See?" he said. "What'd I tell you-"

He was cut off by a white and gray blur. The sound of several windows and walls shattering can be hard all at once. Accelerator looked at Saitama in the eyes with tiny pupils red pupils only slightly larger than his own.

Behind him were a pair of murky black wings that were tens of meters long. Accelerator then changed the trajectory of his course up, causing a wind explosion that decimates many more buildings in its wake. The two moved further and further away from the tallest building in Academy City, fast approaching the clouds.

Accelerator cackled as he grabbed Saitama by the neck and squeezed. Saitama looked to the right and saw a red spec in the distance.

"Ah," he exclaimed. He pointed at the red balloon. "Hey. Can you take me over there?"

Accelerator's eyes swung to the left. He shifted his body in the direction Saitama pointed at. Accelerator increased his speed and shot straight through the Academy City blimp, leaving an orange explosion in their passing. It turns into an expanding black cloud with bits of debris. Their flight traveled on a curve so even though they flew horizontally, they still ascended as well.

Saitama timed himself for two seconds and grabbed the string of the balloon with his right hand.

"Thanks," Saitama replied. However he was surprised that he seems to be floating away from Accelerator. It took him a moment to realize he just left Earth's atmosphere.

Accelerator waved at him with his right hand wearing a sadistic smile.

(Heh, dammit,) he thought.

Accelerator's powers work as long as he can calculate the minimum required forces in order to manipulate them. He relies on the abundance of light, oxygen, heat, gravity etcetera and bends the properties to his will. However, space is a vacuum. Meaning…

(No oxygen. I was supposed to stop right before I left the thermosphere and kick off of him. Shit…looks like I got carried away. Ha… that's what I get for getting carried away.)

Space is a vacuum. There is no oxygen, no gravity. Accelerator could not manipulate what was not there.

(I'll be damned if I don't burn up in atmospheric reentry. Just have to...activate my...Reflection...as soon as I hit the stratosphere.)

Accelerator descended slowly towards Earth. His gaze shifted at the innumerable stars before him.

(...and I didn't even ask for those panties...Oh well...that doesn't matter any...more… I did what I wanted.)

Accelerator's eyes felt heavy. The beautiful sight before him was soon replaced by starless blackness, sealing his fate. An image of Last Order running ahead of him and smiling flashes before him. Followed by Yoshikawa and Yomikawa.

(You don't fuck… with Academy City's… number… one …)

However, the world was not done with him.

Saitama, holding his breath and performed breaststrokes, swam towards Accelerator.

(What the hel…)

Accelerator's thoughts trailed off as he lost consciousness. Saitama grabbed him with his left arm and placed him under his cape. He soared through the atmosphere at high speed, taking the appearance of a shooting star from some areas where it was night. As a giant ball of fire, Saitama darted towards the ground.

He looked around Academy City for any unpopulated areas. An empty park caught his attention. He thrusted his fist towards that direction.

A loud crash is heard all across Academy City. A slight tremor felt for blocks soon followed.

Saitama hit a large patch of grass, landing on a knee and his fist. The impact created a deep crater within a segment of the park.

(Huh,) Saitama though. (I should be more careful when I do that. Someone could get hurt.)

He jumped out of the crater and set Accelerator on a bench.  
Saitama noticed the top of a closed black flip phone sticking out of the unconscious boy's right pocket. He carefully pulled it out using his index finger and thumb, trying not to look like a creep. Then he flipped open the phone, already on contacts. He scrolled down a bit, looking for people to contact. The name "Frog Faced Doctor" caught his eyes. He presses the call button and someone answers after three rings.

"Accelerator," an old man, the Frog Face Doctor Saitama assumed. "I felt that. Did tremor have something to do with you?"

"Ah," Saitama responded. "So you must be a friend of his."

"Hm? Who is this? Why are you calling from this cell phone?"

"This white haired boy roughed himself up real bad just now. You're a doctor, right? The contact said Frog Faced Doctor. So...maybe you should get a hospital van down here or somethin. I'm at..."

Saitama turned around, scanning the park for any outstanding signifiers. After failing to do so, he saw a vending machine.

"...Vending Machine park. If you know what I mean."

"...You know, that's pretty vague. I'll just trace the location of the call. A van will be over momentarily."

(Kind of fucking creepy he can say that so easily.)

"Sigh."

"What's the matter?"

"Young men seem to make it a habit to come down here every couple of weeks. But more importantly, who are you? Are you an acquaintance of Accelerator's? Or are you one of those overly nice bad guys from the darkness who's trying to push an agenda on him?"

There was a pause.

(I could just tell him my name... Or I could just say something really cool.)

"I'm nobody. Just a nameless hero for justice."

"...That doesn't answer my question."

(FUCK, it backfired!)

"Y-yeah, well... You're one to talk Mr. Frog Faced Doctor. What kind of a hero name is that?"

"Hero name? Young man, I have no time for games. Now if you're done-"

*BEEP!*

Saitama removed the phone from his ear. He noticed the screen was black.

(The batteries died. Oh well.)

Saitama placed the phone on the sleeping Accelerator's lower abdomen because he wasn't about to dig into another man's pocket. As he turned to leave, he noticed the little girl with the blank expression from earlier looking up at him.

"You shouldn't sneak up on people," he said.

The little girl extended her left arm as if expecting something.

"Ah. Right. Here you go," Saitama said as he hands her the balloon. "Now say thank you."

"I'm gonna draw porn of you."

There was a long pause between the two as they have a blank expression stare off.


	18. Chapter 3 Part 4

12:36 PM

Kuroko Shirai hurriedly teleported down a path of streetlights lined up a city block. She pressed her index finger on the inside of the headpiece in her left ear. On the other end was fellow Judgement member and friend Uiharu Kazari, a middle school girl of about twelve.

"So," Kuroko began. "*FWISH!* Light skin. About 5'9. Wearing a ridiculous magician's outfit with a cape. *FWISH!* Any other *FWISH!* details *FWISH!* I should know about?"

"Ummm… No, that's everything that's been reported."

"Do you *FWISH!* have a visual on*FWISH!* his current location ? *FWISH!*"

Two computers sat in front of Uiharu on top of her desk in a Judgement office. There were several video feeds of different locations in Academy City. There were several cameras hidden discreetly across Academy City, making it easier to locate crimes. This doubled as a countermeasure against criminals who attempted to flee. Unless the had an ability that obscured their visibility or knew which routes to take to avoid being spotted, escaping unnoticed was nearly impossible. However, the cameras aren't so densely dispersed that they provide omnipresence to anybody monitoring them.

Earlier Yomikawa sent out a call to Uiharu's Judgement branch informing them to look at the video feed located across the street from the MocRonall's where she was robbed. Since then, Uiharu and fellow Judgment officer Konorii Mii had been observing at all of the cameras within the next three districts.

Normally, the search would have covered the just district where the crime took place but due to his inexplicable ability to steal Yomikawa's panties just by touching her and disappear from sight within seconds, it was assumed that he was a teleportation esper like Kuroko. This is further supplemented by the recording in front of MocRonall's that showed Abicus walking into a crowd of people and then appearing on the opposite side of the block a few minutes later.

Kuroko mentioned to Uiharu earlier that Abicus could have used his teleportation ability to cover more ground so they were also vigilant in the neighboring districts as well. She also suggested that they can limit the search to the closest districts surrounding the one where the incident took place since even a Level 4 like her can only cover a few meters per teleport. That and even if a Level 5 may have a little more range, it wasn't likely that he would be able to reach any districts further branching out.

It had unanimous that Kuroko would be invaluable in tracking down Abicus since she can sympathize with the enemy's ability and better pinpoint where he could possibly go. However, there was one issue.

Abicus was already several miles away from Tokiwadai Middle School at the time of the crime and possibly even further since he disappeared from Yomikawa's line of sight immediately after he walked away from her. Additionally, the direction he walked was opposite the direction of Tokiwadai.

Assuming Abicus is a Level 1 or 2 teleporter, catching up would be a bit of a challenge since he already had a massive head start. But if he is a Level 3 or higher, he could keep a considerable distance between them indefinitely or long enough to escape. Regardless, Kuroko actually catching up to him wouldn't be an easy task alone.

But she was not alone.

Anti-Skill, along with various other members of Judgement, provided cover starting from the districts that Kuroko can't reach. So even if he manages to illude Judgement and Anti-Skill, Kuroko would constantly be updated about the path he's travelling by the operatives observing the cameras and/or the on site Judgement and Anti-Skill members.

Since the crime occurred in District 7, that along with Districts 15 and 8, located east and west of District 7, were also being monitored by members of Judgement from different branches. Since Abicus was heading away from Tokiwodai, observing Districts 10 and 2 would be pointless.

The crime occurred approximately one hour before so even if he was a high level teleporter that even exceeded Kuroko, there's a possibility that he could have reached Districts 15, 9, 8, 5, or 18. In order to box him in, several members of Anti-Skill and Judgement were deployed to the edges of District 7 that connected it to those other districts.

An army of armed adults in high tech vehicles and powered suits along with ability wielding esper students of various talents surrounded District 7. Additionally, there were many high tech security bots and attack drones that aided in the search.

It was Abicus vs The Academy City security forces.

Uiharu looked at the two computer screens revealing different corners of District 7. Her eyes ran through each screen at lightning speed as she switched to a different camera seconds at a time. As fast as she could process information on a screen, Uiharu wasn't a machine nor did the vast amount of cameras provide an omnipresent perspective. There were still blind spots in the Academy City surveillance system.

Just as she contemplated that, some thing black flapped on the edge of the screen of the computer on her left. Her eyes lit up upon immediately recognizing that location.

"I've found him!" Uiharu shouted in her prepubescent voice as she stood from her rolling chair, slamming her hands on the computer desk in front of her. "He's on Diabase Street!"

"Diabase Street? *FWISH!*" Kuroko repeats. "But that's barely on the northeastern edge of District 7. *FWISH!* Even a Level 1 could have easily *FWISH!* left the district altogether given the amount of *FWISH!* time that passed."

(Wait a sec.) Kuroko thought as her eyes widened.

"Uiharu, did you say he was running?"

"Yes! And he's kind of fast too!"

(Running…)

Kuroko knelt on top of a street light. She squinted as she pinched her chin with her right index finger and thumb.

(Why would a teleporter be running on foot? Did he run out of stamina? It has been an hour since the crime… but still, it shouldn't be that to keep up even at a lower level and given his possible experience due to his age…)

Kuroko's eyes opened wide again.

(...How old _is_ he?)

Academy City is populated by 2.3 million residents. 80% students of that population were students. 40% of the population had abilities. Usually, the oldest university students were 22, sometimes 23. Adults usually left Academy City upon graduation, hence why adult espers within the city that aren't students are almost completely unheard of.

And then there was this old man who seemingly had teleportation abilities.

Was it possible that a former resident had returned? And for what reason? To exact revenge on the higher ups of the Governing Board? But then how does stealing panties factor into that? Is it just some prank?

Kuroko teleported to the next street light and continued to do so until she reached the end of the block. She then changed her path to the right.

(I could be overthinking it. Perhaps he's just tired from using his ability for an extended period of time. I was also informed that two Tokiwadai students were attacked earlier as well so the string of crimes could have started at least as early as 11:25 and possibly before then if they weren't his first targets.)

*FWISH!*

Kuroko continued to teleport down a path of street lights.

(Regardless, it's a waste time thinking about it right now since I can't draw any conclusions at the moment. We'll question him once he's detained. I have to keep moving.)

*FWISH!*


	19. Chapter 3 Part 5

12:40 PM

Abicus jogged down a block on Diabase Street, gathering looks of confusion and laughter as he brushed past some university students.

"Tee-hee-heeee!" he chuckled. (That's my twelfth one today! Man, I'm on a spree! And that pattern! Roses... This chick must be a freak!)

As Abicus put on a creepy smile, he located his next target; a brown haired woman wearing a long sleeve white dress shirt, a dark navy blue skirt, brown stockings, and black dress shoes.

Even though she was in her late twenties, Abicus mistakenly assumed she was older due to the bags underneath her brown eyes.

The woman sighed with a bored expression. Her shirt appeared a little tight around her breasts.

(Damn girl. Dem legs. Dem tits. Dat ass. Dem… shoes.)

Abicus swung his wand in a circular motion.

"Alakhazingo…"

"Man, it's hot out," the woman said as she slowly unbuttoned her shirt. "It should be illegal for it to be this hot out. That way, the sun could be arrested and then it could just be a cool night time for a few days. Ha… But then there'd just be another ice age and we'd all be dead... As a woman of science, it's disgusting I didn't immediately consider that a possibility…"

The woman pulled her shirt apart, revealing a pink bra.

"I should get some friends to make stupid jokes that I can correct."

Abicus' jaw literally dropped to the floor. His pupils shrunk to the size of a grain of sand and blood leaked from his nose.

(T-t-those breast! Neither too big nor too small! And wrapped behind a bra like that emphasizes their perkiness while looking sexy and discreet at the same time! And it's like she doesn't even notice of lewd she is! How trained is she in the seductive arts?!)

Abicus sniffed before tears started overflowing through his squinted eyes. He clenched his right fist and faced up.

(This is the best day ever. If I died right now, that'd be alrig-)

An Anti-Skill van skidded a few feet past Abicus, stopping at the approaching corner. He jumped to the side as woman swung her head towards the vehicle. Five or so more vans swerved around the corner not necessarily in a formation but stopping in a way that surrounded Abicus and the stripperific woman on every angle.

(Oh shit, the heat!)

Several Anti-Skill soldiers appeared holding transparent riot shields in their left hands and SIG SG 551 SWATs in their right. They surrounded the two on all sides, kneeling about two meters away from him.

Yomikawa hopped out of the van holding a megaphone.

"Somebody move that woman!" she yelled over the megaphone, much to the dismay of the Anti-Skill soldiers kneeling in front of her.

One of the soldier ran toward the half naked woman and grabbed her by the right arm, pulling her away from Abicus.

"Ma'am," he said bashfully. "Please button up your shirt."

"But it's just so hot out," she replied in an exasperated tone. "I thought I might melt if I stayed like that for another second."

"...Ma'am, public indecency is a felony and flirting with an officer is just wrong."

The woman looked at the officer and said nothing for a moment. Then she puffed her cheeks and glared to the side like a child being put on time out.

"You have no sense of humor," she said as she buttoned the bottom her shirt with her free hand. She wasn't flirting with the officer but didn't want to go to court for accusal of sexual harassment. "And you didn't even compliment my breasts."

The soldier sighed.

Upon seeing that the stripperific woman moved to safety, Yomikawa put the megaphone back in front of her mouth.

"Hands in the air! I'm Yomikawa Aiho, member of Anti-Skill, and you're under arrest for several accounts theft, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual assault of an officer, and sexual harassment of an officer and for fucking robbing me you piece of shit!"

One of the Anti-Skill soldiers kneeling in front of Yomikawa slowly turned his head to the right.

"Uh… That last one's a bit redundant."

"Who asked you?!" Yomikawa yelled, pointing her head at the soldier but being sure the keep the megaphone directed at Abicus. While the soldiers in front of her keeled over, she spoke into the megaphone once more. "Comply now and this doesn't have to get ugly. Or not. Please don't."

Abicus raised his arms in the air and scowled at the 32 soldiers pointing machine guns at him. His eyes shifted around in order to pinpoint where each of them stood.

Yomikawa squinted.

"Drop your weapon and lay on your stomach with your arms behind your back."

Abicus slowly knelt down and placed his wand on the ground in front of him before complying with Yomikawa's instructions.

"Hmph," Abicus laughed with a smirk. "You never said you were a cop."

"Never said I wasn't… Book 'im."

Two soldiers got up and jogged towards Abicus. The soldier on the right aimed his machine gun at Abicus' temple while the soldier on the left handcuffed him. A third soldier came to pick up the wand and place it a plastic.

Yomikawa dropped the arm carrying the megaphone to her side and observed the Anti-Skill soldier forcing Abicus up and grabbing him by the left arm. The soldier on the right then forcefully grabbed his right arm and the two began to walk him towards a van.

Yomikawa put her free index finger into her right ear.

"This is Yomikawa Aiho of Branch 73. We've contained the esper and will await further instructions. We thank you for your compliance with the operation."

As she is spoke into the head piece, Yomikawa looked at Abicus being forcefully walked towards an Anti-Skill van. Abicus returned her gaze before the soldier on the left yanked his arm, shaking his body and head.

"Eyes forward, douchebag," he practically spat.

"... Although... would this count fall under both Ant-Skill and Judgement protocols? Since an officer was personally attacked, should he also be prosecuted according to our stipulations as well even if he is an esper?"

Kuroko squinted as she teleported down a series of street lights. She had just received word that Abicus had been detained from Yomikawa.

(Okay, something's definitely not right here. Why wouldn't he just teleport away from the Anti-Skill forces when he had the chance? It's not like we weren't expecting a chase and we even went through the trouble of strategically placing Judgement members across certain pathways to limit the routes he could have taken. Has he truly given up?… Or does he have something else up his sleeve?)

"We'll discuss that once I arrive. I think this kind of thing is a little more open ended than who takes credit."

"Must you children make everything into a competition?" Yomikawa playfully asked.

Kuroko chuckled.

"Must you old bags be so condescending?"

Kuroko heard Yomikawa angrily grunting before she turned off her head piece. She was joking but that didn't mean she wasn't taking the situation seriously. She gazed ahead with a strong look of determination and a confident smile.

(Just you wait Mr. Magician. I'll discover the secret to your trick yet!)

*FWISH!* *FWISH!*


	20. Chapter 3 Part 6

12:41 PM

Touma jogged down the block in top form. It would be no surprise if he ran low times during long distance track events but his luck would prevent him from excelling in anything that would bring him true happiness. Such misfortune is the life that has been bestowed upon Touma Kamijou.

Earlier Tsuchimikado sent Touma a text informing him that Abicus has been traced to Diabase Street. He knew this because during the Vortex experiment, members of Necessarius created a location spell that could track the whereabouts of the Dimitri's Saws anywhere in the world, which was how they could track him even in different universes. However, they could only do that after Gungnir pinpointed the universe he was in. Fortunately, since the saws were in their point of origin, the search could begin after the spell was activated.

Diabase Street was ten minutes away from Touma's high school by car, fifthteen by bus, and five by train. Unfortunately, or normally in this case, Touma left his wallet at home and he found out by the time he was already in class. So he was forced to jog for at least half an hour in order to reach Abicus.

(This is not good… At the pace I'm running, he'd be long gone by the time I get to Diabase Street. Dammit! If only I didn't leave my wallet at home… But maybe it's too early to give up…)

Touma reached into his right pocket and pulled out a black flip phone. He unflipped it with his thumb and opened the contacts menu. After holding the down button for a few seconds, he pressed the call button when the name "Mikoto Misaka" was highlighted.

He placed the phone up to his ear and patiently waited for a response.

He heard a few rings. They lasted only a few seconds but felt like centuries.

A ribbit noise emitted from a phone in a black satchel under Mikoto's bed. It rung a few more times but all she did was turn away and cover her ears with her pillow. She groaned.

"Pishhh off whoever you are," she slurred. "Haven't you heard? *Sniff* I'm shick…"

Mikoto slipped back into her cozy slumber. After Kuroko left, she complained that she would be bed ridden all day but now willingly allowed herself a day of peace away from the excitement of a middle school girl's daily life.

(Come on, Zapper!) Touma frantically thought as he jogged in place at crosswalk during a green light. (Pick up!)

"You've reached the voicebox of Mikoto Misaka," a pre recording of Mikota played. "I'm probably really busy right now so leave a messag-"

Touma slams his phone shut in frustration.

(Dammit!)

It wasn't Mikoto Misaka Touma wanted to contact. He was seeking Kuroko Shirai, her roommate with the teleportation ability. He hoped that she might be able to be of assistance in getting him to Abicus faster or at the very least ensure that he get to see him.

(Wait, isn't she part of Judgement? Does she even like me? I can't just ask a member of Judgement to do me a solid! I'm just some normal high schooler! Dammit, why can't I be somebody of relative importance in society?!)

Touma looked up and reflected on the few times Kuroko has physically assaulted him. He didn't realize this but Kuroko is incredibly possessive over Mikoto and will immediately act belligerent towards anyone showing any remote affection that can be interpreted as romantic.

He didn't realize this easy to spot fact because he is incredibly oblivious to anything romantic.

(Arghhhh. She probably wouldn't even help me anyway.)

Touma jogged for a few more meters. He made a right turn when he approached the end of the block. He couldn't get to Diabase Street in record time but he could at least take a short cut.

"Heeeeeeeeey youuuuuuuuu!"

A chill ran down Touma's spine. His head swung around. Several meters behind him was the gorilla security guard, huffing and puffing as he raised his arms up to his head. The sweat under his armpits darkened patches underneath his shoulders.

The color left Touma's face as his jaw hung open.

(You've gotta be kidding me!)

"Young maaaaaan! You will not escape from the confines of the public education system!"

People flew into the air as The Gorilla Man brushed past them, slowly but surely closing the gap between them.

(Oh man! For someone so big, he's pretty fast! I'm not gonna out run him this pace! Damn my rotten luck!)

Touma looked to his left as several vehicles sped past him. The Gorilla Man was about seven feet behind Touma but he only needed to be four feet away to be within tackling range. Touma shivered at the thought of being crushed between those sweaty underarms.

(Come on… hurry up dammit!)

After being within five feet of Touma, The Gorilla Man suddenly increased his pace. Being so close to completing his objective must have given him a surge of adrenaline. The Gorilla Man's heart raced in anticipation of tackling the unfortunate boy.

"Come to papa delinquent scum!"

This next sequence of events played out in slow motion before The Gorilla Man's eyes. His jaw dropped and his pupils widened.

Touma leaped to his left into the street, soaring through the air and extended his arms as if he is reaching out for something. The Gorilla Man with his jaw dropped shifted his focus to what was in front of the boy.

Touma barely managed to grab hold of a ladder on the back of a delivery truck of some sorts. His right foot dangled before he pulled it onto the bottom of the ladder.

(Phew! That could have spelt the end of my high school career right there. Looks like my luck's finally turning…)

A huffing a puffing sound reached Touma's ears. He turned his head to see The Gorilla Man matching the speed of the delivery truck traveling at 32 mph, his face completely red. In contrast, the color on Touma's face disappeared entirely.

(…around.)

"You get down from there this instant, delinquent scum!"

"That's not even an option at this point! And quit calling me a delinquent!"

"Only a true delinquent skips out on free public education! And if you won't come to me…!"

The Gorilla Man's huffing and puffing accelerated as he closed in on the back of the delivery truck.

"...I'll just have to come to you!"

Touma's mouth dropped and in retaliation quickly climbed to the top of the truck before crawling towards the end of the large crate. The Gorilla Man jumped onto the ladder, grabbing onto a section a little higher then where Touma caught. He reached the top of the truck takes a few steps before stopping, putting the two at a stand off like in an action movie.

If this were an action movie, Touma and The Gorilla Man would have traded one liners before engaging in moral combat. However…

(Impossible!) Kamijou thought, sweating and a foot away from the edge of the crate. (He is just too fast for a man that big!)

"Dammit delinquent scumbag!" The Gorilla Man shouted with steam literally coming out of his mouth. "It's dangerous up here!"

"Quit calling me that!" Touma shouted back. "And I'm telling you, I've got something really important that I absolutely have to do right now!"

"There's nothing more important in your life right now then learning and growing into respectable young man who contributes to society!"

"What are you, my dad?!"

"No! Just a respectable adult who care about the betterment of the yout-WAIT!"

"What now?!"

"...Is it a girl?!"

Touma's mouth hung open. As shady as Aogami and Tsuchimikado were, he doubted they would have actually broken the Bro Code and snitch on him, even if it was a fake reason.

"It is, isn't it?!" The Gorilla Man shouted as spit flew out of his mouth and flew behind him.

"No! Of course not!" Touma shouted back with an angry expression as he clenched his right fist.

"Young man, if she's making you skip school then she's not the kind of girl you should be hanging around in the first place! Even if she is really cute!"

"SHE'S NOT MAKING ME SKIP SCHOOL! AND THERE IS NO GIRL! AND I DON'T THINK SHE'S CUTE!"

(Wait, why am I defending myself?) Touma quickly reevaluated with a look of confusion. (Great, now it looks like I really am skipping school for Zapper. Not that he knows it's Zapper…which it isn't because I'm not skipping school… at least not for her… and even if I ever did skip school, it wouldn't be for her... unless she's really in trouble because that's what true friends d-)

"Trust me, young man! There are nice cute girls out there who will love you for your personality! You just have to be patient!"

(Yeah right. This is the last guy I should be taking romantic advice fro…)

While Touma was in the middle of performing shallow judgement, The Gorilla Man pulled out his wallet and revealed a collage of pictures featuring him and a very attractive black haired woman with an ample chest resting behind a red sweater vest and a younger version of The Gorilla Man with practically no wrinkles. The Gorilla Man pointed at the first picture.

"This is my wife Rebecca," he said. "We met in college and the reason she chose me over all the fit, young men that were constantly fawning over her was because she said I had character! You hear that?! It's not about what you can do or how good you look! It's about how you go about doing it and the way you carry yourself!"

(Says the guy who supposedly married a supermodel.) Touma thought as he squinted.

The Gorilla Man then pointed to a lower picture showing him carrying a little girl of about five or six with his facial features and Rebecca holds a baby boy resembling her with a yellow pacifier in his mouth.

"And these are our beautiful children, Roberto and Myra! See?! Even a totally average, scrawny, and not too bright delinquent such as yourself can marry a beautiful, smart, and tough woman like my Rebecca with enough effort!"

Ignoring the back handedness of that last statement, Touma stared at the picture with his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Yeah right! That's totally edited!"

"No it's not!" The Gorilla Man snapped back. His immediate response told Touma that The Gorilla Man was accustomed to hearing that.

(Wait! What am I doing? I don't have time for this!)

Touma crawled backwards a bit and stopped once he felt a breeze on the top of his index finger. While The Gorilla Man said something about having a great personality and contradictingly having good finances, Touma's head slowly turned to the left. His pupils shrank.

He quickly swung his head back.

"Hey!" he shouted with a frantic look on his face. Sweat dripped down the side of his timple.

"Oh?! Have you finally come to your senses and decided to give up your delinquent ways to invest in your futur-"

"Shut up and duck!"

"Hmm...?!"

Touma rolled forward and laid on his stomach while covering the top of his head. He shut his eyes tight and gritted his teeth. There was a bridge coming up and the crate of the truck was only a few feet away from the bottom of it. However, it was close enough to the top of the crate to knock down anyone standing over five feet right off the truck, resulting in more than a few injuries.

Touma heard a loud thud. He slowly opened his eyes and saw no one in front of him.

(Oh man! I told him to duck but why didn't he?! D-dammit! This didn't have to end like this…)

As Touma was contemplating his suspected murder assistance, he saw The Gorilla Man climbing over a gate on the bridge at an unnaturally fast speed. After reaching the top of the he leapt, looking about as graceful as a highly trained ballerina. The scene played out in slow motion before Touma as his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. The Gorilla Man landed in the same spot he was previously standing.

"Oh shit!" a male driver in a car not directly behind but to the left of the delivery truck, mimicking Touma's thoughts verbatim.

"So," The Gorilla Man calmly said as if nothing odd or physically impossible just happened. "You were using my story as a means of distracting me while you make a quick getaway, right?!"

Touma's jaw couldn't drop ayd further so his head raised as his mouth expanded.

"No! I tried to help you for crying out loud!"

"That's exactly what a delinquent scum would say!" The Gorilla Man pointed his right index finger at Touma.

Kamijou calmly stood up.

(There has to be a way out of this.) he thought as The Gorilla Man slowly made his way towards him.

"Now, come here slowly and we can both get out of this situation safely-"

Touma jump the right with his arms flailing in the air. The scene played out in slow motion as The Gorilla Man's jaw dropped and his eyes expanded.

"H-hey!" he nervously yelled, futilely reaching out to him with his left hand. "That's dangerou-"

SMACK!

In a fit of lecturing, The Gorilla Man failed to notice the approaching green street sign reading "Fukiyose Street ↖, Masamune Drive ↗". He bounced off the crate, falling directly into the trash heap in the garbage truck behind it.

Touma panicked as he realized he underestimated his strength and jumped a little too high, losing control of where he wanted to land. His limbs dangled helplessly as a young woman with brown hair walked directly in Touma's landing course.

"Look out below!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Huh?" the woman said, looking to her left.

THUD!

Touma's landing was cushioned by the supple C-cup breasts of the young lady that he fell face first on. He quickly pushed himself up and much to his dismay saw that the woman was unconscious with spirals in her eyes.

"Oh shit!" Touma cursed. He repeatedly patted the her on the cheek with his right hand. "Hey! Are you okay…"

Touma's face stiffens. His attention went to his left hand which seemed to be firmly cusping one of the woman's breasts. His cheeks turned red as sweat begins pouring down his forehead like a heavy rainfall.

(Oh shit! I hope no one gets the wrong idea!)

As if God himself heard his prayers and said "Nah," Touma turned his head to his right and noticed a group eight or so delinquent young men that appear to be three or four years older than him. They all stared at him in disbelief.

"So…" the apparent leader of the group said as he cracked his knuckles and soon his neck. "You like touching tits in public, eh?"

Upon closer inspection, the young men were wielding various blunt objects such as steel pipes, wooden planks and chains.

"We may be delinquent scum shunned by society without any hopes for a future but at least we got the decency to respect a woman's assets! Get 'im!"

Like a stampede of wild gazelles, the boys ran towards Kamijou fueled by an odd sense of vigilante justice and fury and a little bit of jealousy. Touma could only stare dumbstruck as he attempted to rationalize the mindset behind the true teenage scum. He is snapped out of his daze by female voice from across the street.

"Hello, is this Anti-Skill?" a young woman in a blue sweater vest, skirt, and light black hair tied in a ponytail said. "Yes, there is a pervert stealing bras in broad daylight! He's on Teppei Drive!

Touma's head swung around at the sudden offense. He was sweating enough to rival the scenic view of Niagara Falls.

"What?! No I'm not!"

He then noticed some sort of wiring caught on his left ring finger. His heart raced as he turns back around raising his left arm to reveal a thin light blue and slightly transparent bra. Some sort of long, high pitched gasp escaped from Touma's mouth.

(This is way too racy for young woman like this! Great, now I'm starting to sound like The Gorilla Man!)

"DELINQUENT SCUUUUUUUUUUUM!"

Touma's face swung to the left and he saw The Gorilla Man, covered in bits of trash with a banana peel over his head. People flew into the air as he mowed past them.

"YOU WILL TRULY SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES FOR DEFYING THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM!"

Touma looked at The Gorilla Man madly smiling due the immense shock from the current events proceeding. His attention was then drawn forward by the woman he was still on top of as she moaned. Touma looked down quickly and the woman's eyes widened. Then she looked down at her chest.

"Wait!" Touma attempted to explain as he removed his hand. "It's not what it looks like-doh!"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The woman let out an ear piercing scream, sitting upright while covering her chest with her arms. On the way up, she accidentally headbutted Touma in the nose, sending him backwards. He covered his nose with his head faced down as he writhed in pain.

"Rahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" The delinquents shouted as they closed in on Touma.

"HAAAAAAAAAAA!" The Gorilla Man shouted as he closed in on Touma.

Touma looked to his left then to his right as he held his bloodied nose with both hands. Then he closed his eyes and sighed as if he were exhaling tobacco smoke.

CRASH!

In a scene taken directly from a children's cartoon, the delinquents found themselves engaging in battle with The Gorilla Man in a cloud of dust. A few boys flew out of the cloud and immediately charged back in as the sounds of flesh smacking flesh can be heard.

"So!" The Gorilla Man can be heard yelling. "Leaving your cohorts to do your dirty work for you as you make a clean get away, ay delinquent scum?! Ahh, who's bra is this?! I'm a married man!"

"Gah!" The Delinquent Ring Leader grunted. "Don't group us with perverts like him you smelly, hairy ape!"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY ABOUT MY HAIR?!"

More grunts can be heard as three more boys flew out of the cloud. They immediately come rushing back in, covered in cuts and bruises.

"Hey! Who's grabbing my ass?!" a young man can be heard saying. "...I didn't say stop!"

The Brown Haired Woman sobbed as she held her chest with one hand while the other patting the ground.

"I just wanted to look sexy for my boyfriend. Is that so wrong? *sniff*"

The sounds of bones cracking and grunting men dwindled as Touma sprinted down an alley that happened to be nearby.

(Curse my rotten dumb luck.) he thought with tears in his eyes, still holding his nose.


	21. Chapter 3 Part 7

12:47 PM

Two Anti-Skill soldiers escorted Abicus by either arms to a state of the art military grade van. Abicus looked down as the two soldiers practically dragged him. When they reached the van, a third soldier handed the one on the left a pair of handcuffs. The one on the right forced Abicus' arms in front of him as his peer placed the cuffs on him.

Yomikawa astutely observed the scene as she had a conversation with Konori Mii, a member of Judgement, from her headset.

"Since your little brat was useless in providing an adequate answer, should he also be prosecuted according to our stipulations as well even if he is an esper?"

While Yomikawa kept her watch giving her the presence of a guard dog, fellow Anti-Skill member Saigou Ryota crossed her path, obscuring her view of Abicus.

"Yomikawa, we've got a complaint. Turns out some _other_ pervert's stolen a young lady's bra in broad daylight. It could be connected to this. Should we send a small unit down?"

"Seriously? Good grief, what has the city gone straight to-"

An Anti-Skill member shouted frantically.

"S-shit!"

Saigou's body swung around towards the direction of the cry.

"What happened?!"

The Anti-Skill member who was holding Abicus' right arm pointed at the empty ground.

"H-he disappeared!"

"What?!"

"Scratch that last report," Yomikawa yelled into her ear piece. "Hostile has vanished from the premise. Repeat, hostiles has vanished from the premise!"

"Roger!" replied Konori.

Yomikawa took her finger out of her ear. She raised her gun as she ran towards Saigou.

"Arm yourselves! Hostile is teleporter and a massive pervert! He is not to be trifled with!"

"You got that right," Abicus' whispered from an unknown location.

Yomikawa and Saigou's postures stiffened. Even though he wasn't visible, it sounded like he whispered directly into her ear. Saigou aimed his gun in multiple directions.

"Yomikawa," he said without looking at her. "Get my six."

Yomikawa swiftly backpedaled until her back makes contacts with Saigou.

"You too."

"Hmmm hmmm," Abicus can be heard saying again. "I'd like me some of that pie."

"Can he manipulate sound waves too?" Saigou frantically asked.

"Espers don't have two abilities!" Yomikawa replied.

The Anti-Skill members spread out across the vicinity in an attempt to cover as much ground as possible. The four HsPS-15 power suits raised their large shotgun-esque rifles and being pointed in different directions.

"It's not use. Even with all of your little fancy toys, you couldn't stop me. Quite frankly, I'm in an entirely different league. You're cute for trying though."

A stream of sweat ran down the side of Saigou's left temple. In spite of the anticipation of the unknown, he maintained a composed disposition.

"Oh really?" Yomikawa inquired with a smirk. "We're Academy City's premier defense force, armed to the bone with technology several decades ahead of the rest of the world. You're just one man. You wanna bet you can take us with your lame parlour tricks?"

Yomikawa said that in hopes of luring Abicus out since he appeared to ego driven.

However, her plan only half succeeded.

There was a slight pause.

"Gale Wind, Level 3."

A small breeze formed in the center of the area. That small breeze turned into a massive gust engulfing the Ant-Skill members, knocking everybody including the military vans and the people in the armored suits into a series of buildings on their right. The sound of large metal and bones cracking can be heard. The vans that did crash into the wall were severely flattened, crushing the windows and staining the sidewalk with glass.

"Uzumaki."

A tornado formed at the center, lifting up the remaining soldiers, vans, and powered suits. Yomikawa futily reached out to Saigou as he floated away from her.

Some Anti-Skill members collided with the military vans or the powered suits, leaving them dangling lifelessly like they were freefalling dummies. Abicus stood atop of a powered suit with his arms behind his back. Using unconscious Anti-Skill members as foot stools, he leaped towards the upside down Yomikawa.

He leaned so close to her face that he could smell every sweating pore. He fondled her cheek for an uncomfortable length without saying anything.

"Did you really think take me for a one trick pony?" he whispered in a sadistic voice.

Yomikawa swung her rifle towards Abicus but she was a second too slow. Abicus roundhouse kicked her in the stomach, sending her flying through the window of some important business building. The business buildings in Academy City are reinforced with very strong safety glass to prevent gun shots or employees from killing themselves. But that meant nothing as Yomikawa's body effortlessly smash throughed it. She rolled across the ground for a few feet.

Yomikawa laid on her side, unconscious next an empty cubicle of some deserted office. The employees left after noticing a storm at the side of the building.

Abicus slowly floated towards the ground and landed on his right tiptoe. Then the tornado subsided, causing the Anti-Skill vans, armored suits, and regular members to fall as well. The trucks and armored suits make loud crunching sounds as they smack the pavement. The Anti-Skill soldiers flail their limbs helplessly as they approach the hard, unfeeling ground. The sound of bones cracking and fleshing slamming against the pavement.

Some of the vans and armored suits exploded, either disintegrating or launching a few Anti-Skill soldiers. Abicus walked away looking bored as he adjusted his top hat.

Saigou landed on his feet but the impact snapped the large bone in his left leg. He somersaulted to prevent further damage. He brought his injured leg up to his chest with both hands. He scowled, shutting his eyes and gritting his teeth before finally screaming in pain.

Abicus slowly walked towards Saigou for no reason other than to incite fear in him. Upon reaching him, Abicus looked down unto Saigou with a blank expression or a few seconds. Saigou opened his eyes and forgot about the immense pain he felt just a moment ago. Abicus' blank face quickly and eerily turned into very wide grin that stretched his face to the fullest.

Saigou quickly reached for the handgun in his left leg holster. However Abicus stepped on his injured leg, causing Saigou retract in pain, screaming.

Abicus waved his wand in a circular motion.

"Alakazheemo," he said in a low voice. Saigou's gun slowly floated out of his holster and aimed itself at Abicus' right temple.

"Alazhingo."

The cartridge slipped out from under the pistol. Then, the bullets fly out of the cartridge. Afterwards, the pistol and cartridge dart off in opposite directions before bouncing across the street a few times. Saigou witnessed in frustration before diverting his gaze towards the cold smile cast down on him. It leaned down in front of him so that his rancid breath attacks every pore on his face.

"Poor little soldier boy," it taunted. "All of that training, all of that technology and yet here you are, writhing in pain. Powerless. Defenseless. Defeated. You messed with forces beyond your control and you. Got. Burned. Your ignorance was your own folly, which lead to your destruction. But that's alright."

Saigou's face was drenched in a sweat as he gnashed his teeth in frustration. The seemingly harmless and angular face before him had taken on an entirely different presence, installing a sense of fear in Saigou much like a child who believed a monster was hiding under his bed.

The pupils in its face disappear and it reveals a toothless smirk.

It backed up and slowly walked away in towards the left, leaving Saigou hyperventilating.

Abicus stopped walking after he heard the sound of guns cocking. He turned to the left to see four armored powered suits standing at 2.5 meters tall aiming large shotguns with large barrels at his backside in his peripheral vision. The armored suits were capable of jumping over ten meters. The forty foot fall they had taken was not enough to completely damage them.

"S-stop where you are," the suit on the far left said. "Or we _will_ shoot."

Abicus turned around and stared at them with a hollow expression. He raised his wand.

"Misdirection."

"Put the wand down!" the suit on the second to last right shouted.

A giant bullet flew past Abicus. The wind from made his cape flap several times. Abicus heard the sound of it crashing into a building several meters away but he didn't respond.

The suit to the far right along with the two next to him looked at the suit on the far left. For the sake of simplicity, the suits will be referred to by number corresponding to how far they are from the left.

"What the hell man?!" Suit #1 shouted. "Who told you to shoot?!"

"I'm sorry!" Suit #4 frantically responded. "My finger slipped!"

"How does your finger slip on a suit of armor?!" chastised#3. "It's metal on _metal_!"

"I-I got nervous! Sorry!"

Suit #4 turned to his colleagues and continually bowed apologetically.

"What would we tell our superiors?!" added #2. "'Oh, sorry. We accidentally shot the perpetrator with a three foot shot gun in a specialized suit of armor.' Dumbass, think before you get nervous!"

"Wah! But you say that like I have control over my nerves!"

Abicus stared, bewildered, as the idiots before him bickered amongst themselves.

(You know, I could just run away right now. Buuuuuuut…)

The indifferent magician pointed his wand skyward.

"Fifty-Two Drop Down," he whispered in a monotone..

In a flash of pink light, fifty-two 7.5 by 6 feet playing cards appeared, scattered around him. Abicus pointed his wand forward and by his command the cards rotated so the top edges pointed in front of them. With the sound of several shock waves, the massive cards bursted forward at high speed towards the armored suits.

In response, the suits simultaneously jumped into the air, avoiding at least sixteen cards much to Abicus' intrigue. His pupils shifted towards the armored suits that were six meters in the air.

#3 aimed his gun down at Abicus.

"Hook line and sinker," he confidently said.

"Good job guys," said #2.

"Don't get comfy," said #1. "We're not done yet."

"Yeah," added #4. "But you guys said such hurtful things."

(Hmmm, so it was a trick. However…)

"Don't count your chickens yet," Abicus said even though the suits were too far out of range to hear.

The remaining cards rotated diagonally and flew towards the suits. 6 of Hearts cut through #3's shotgun, cutting right up the arm as well. He shrieked at the unimaginable pain of having a his forearm split. #2 was stuck in the "thigh" of his right leg, causing him to flip forward as three more cards sunk into his remaining limbs.

#1 delivered an axe kick on a card heading his way, sending it crashing into the street. Then he swung his elbow down, crushing it as if it were crunchy children's cereal.

#4 swung his shotgun up, deflecting a card into the sky. However, another card was heading his way at the apex of his attack.

(Shit!) #4 panicked silently.

A large burst of bullets shoot through the center of the card, scattering its broken bits above and below #4.

Abicus looked at #1 who had his shotgun aimed to his left.

(Fucking pest,) he thought as his scowl tightened.

The remaining cards flew towards #1. He shoot one and deflected another. The third one pierced the cylindrical helmet, getting stuck about halfway.

Number Oneeeeeeeeeeeee!" #4 shouted.

#1's figure was drowned in a sea of giant playing cards. In his place were tiny bits of a mechanical suit.

#4 landed on the ground with a loud thud, cracking the street underneath him. For a second he couldn't move.

(D-damn it,) he thought, gritting his teeth.

His comrades were either incapacitated or dead. Behind the cylindrical helmet, his shrunken pupils shook and dilated as a stream of sweat ran down his face. He was the least experienced of the group and his opponent easily mopped the floor with all of his team mates. The odds, or even the cosmos were playing against him in every conceivable way.

Even so…

(I musn't run away...)

#4 aimed his shotgun at Abicus while running with slow, clanking strides. He fired three rounds. At the wave of a wand, the enormous bullets changed course to the left, then right, then left again, destroying the windows and the cement walls of the adjacent buildings. In a split second, an enormous playing card rotating at high speed effortlessly sawed through the tip of #4's gun, rendering it useless. He grunted and then threw the gun onto the ground behind him.

Upon reaching Abicus, #4 cocked his right fist back and shouted. With all of his might, he threw the heavy, mechanical arm at the unflinching Abicus.

Instead of taking the fist to the face, Abicus flicked his wand up.

"Misdirection," he said.

The tip of the wand made contact with the fist.

Confusion ran through #4's mind. He could not compute what happened to him in that moment even though he had every reason to know. Fear must have sunk too deep in his mind, interfering with his thought process.

For some reason, #4 was above Abicus, staring at his chilling smile.

The mass of armor that was #4 was flipped directly over Abicus.

(What…?)

#4 spun rapidly across the air, the rapidly rotating world analogous to his mental state.

A suit of armor exploded a few meters behind Abicus. The wind of the explosion made his cape dance in the wind. The twisted magician closed his eyes and inhaled, basking in the brutality of crippled men and the ruins of the once clean street engulfed in flames.

After a moment, he finally exhaled.

Upon opening his eyes, he saw several blue vans speeding towards him several meters ahead. He quickly tapped his shoulder with his wand.

"Rubiosa!"

The first van screeched to a halt several feet in front of Abicus, turning to the side in the process. Anticipating this a few seconds in advance, he kicked off, gliding towards the van at full speed. He was bounced back several feet into the air. He tipped his top hat at the van as he soars over the fire. He forced himself to land directly on his back, causing him to bounce even farther.

Within a seconds, Abicus covered the span of several meters.

While sprawled on the ground, Saigou continued to hyperventilate with wide eyes as he grabbed a hold of his broken leg. An Anti-Skill member opened the driver's seat of the van and leapt out.

"Dammit!" he cursed underneath his breath at the flames that blocked his path. He turned around and upon sprinted towards Saigou upon seeing him hunched over. After stopping in front of him, he leaned in front of him on his left knee.

He placed his hands in front of him as if he were to perform first aid but he is unsure of what to do.

"Saigou!"

Saigou's hyperventilation went on for a few more seconds before slowing down and stopping. His pupils returned to normal size and he took a few more breaths, looking at the Anti-Skill member in front of him.

"Dammit," he whispered to himself. "Help me up."

"Yessir," the Anti-Skill member said. He wrapped Saigou's right arm over his shoulder and helped him up.

Saigou pressed on the inside of his left ear with his index finger.

"This is Saigou of the Anti-Skill Branch 73. The hostile has retreated by turning his body into rubber and bouncing away. Abicus somehow has more than one type of ability… we've been beaten."

Saigou took his finger out of his ear and looks down, sighing. His subordinate studied him to see what his next action would be.

"You okay, superior?" he asked.

Saigou looked up and stared in annoyance.

"Shut up and help me to that building over there. Yomikawa definitely needs medical attention."

The subordinate did not comment on the irony of that statement and helped his superior without uttering a word.


	22. Chapter 3 Part 8

12:52 PM

Mikoto Misaka rested soundly in the confines of her dorm. Normally if she received news about two Tokiwadai students having their panties stolen, she would have without a doubt attempted to get involved in finding him in spite of Kuroko's hypothetical objections. Even though she was the third most powerful esper in the entire city according to the rankings, she was still a citizen and encouraged not to get involved in maintaining civil obedience. It was the responsibility of Judgment to enforce justice upon students who choose to misuse their abilities.

However, Mikoto decided to heed Kuroko's advice and go to sleep. The empty bowl of soup laid on the side of her bed. She turned to her right and hugged her pillow tightly. Her cheeks were red and even I can't tell you if it was because she was sick or because she was having a lewd dream.

I mean, I could but, well… fuck you. Moving on.

"Shtop running away, shu idiot," she muttered in her sleep. "Tell meh how you keep blocking my shotsshhhhh…"

A pebble hit the window of her dorm. A few seconds later, two more pebbles bounced off it. Mikoto was too dazed to noticed. A fourth pebble hit the window and still no response.

Two seconds later, a rock the size of a high school student's backpack smashed through the window. Mikoto quickly sat up with her pillow in her arms. She slipped into a pair of slippers with a cartoon frog design and quickly tip toes to the broken window frame, still with the pillow in her arms.

"What the hell ish wrong with you?!" she shouted.

Mikoto was greeted by four girls who looked exactly like her, clad in the Tokiwadai Middle School uniform and night vision goggles. They all carried black cases, except for the sister laying on the ground with her mouth open agap, drooling. Her case was adjacent to her on the right

"Big sister refused to respond to Misaka's advances, so she had to resort to using drastic measures, explains #10032, explaining the situation clearly even though she thinks her actions were self evident and justified."

Mikoto squeezed her right hand and sparks of blue electricity flared around her hair.

"Grrrrrrr," she growled before sighing. "What are you guys even doing here?"

"There has been an incident regarding one of our sisters, explains #10035, cutting to the chase."

Mikoto raised her right eyebrow.

"Huh? What kind of *sniff* inchident?"

"A perverted esper appears to have attacked #20001, using his teleportation ability to steal her panites, explains #19090."

There was a noticeable pause. One could feel the tension slowly rising.

"...What?"

"Misaka did not know what to do. She felt as if a piece of her pride and self-worth were taken from her as well. Misika never imagined that she could so easily stripped of her dignity. It was an awful and humiliating feeling, explains #10039, hiding the sorrow in her heart through a cold expression and monotone voice."

The Misaka Network connected the sisters via electromagnetic brain waves. They could share laughter, sadness, joy, and anger. Mikoto silently pondered the ramifications of what has been explained to her.

"We thought you might like to know, considering you are our big sister and therefore, this affects you just as much as this affects us, says #19090."

"However, interjects #10032 . You are not obligated to aid us in our path to justice. The option to reject our way is still on the table. However, we feel that you would make the right choice. So don't be a shady bitch."

"Yeah, don't be a bitch, adds #10035 needlessly but for the fun of saying bitch."

A butterfly landed on the nose of the sister laying on the ground. Her toothless smile widened as drool fell out the side of the corner of her mouth.

"Zwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah..."

"Excellent point yet again #13577, says #19090."

"Uhhhh," Mikoto sid. "What's up with her?"

"She spent three hours looking at paint dry. However, it appears she stood too close to it and the inhaled fumes, damaging her speech and dexterity functions, explains #10032."

"It's okay though. She will be fine in a few hours. Plus, we like her this way, says #10035."

"Misaka leans over and points #13577 in the cheek with a stick to highlight the joy of abusing the helpless Misaka, says #19090 without any regard for her sister's current state of health."

"We would feel bad if she didn't do it to herself. She had it coming, says #10032 telling it like it is."

"Someone get Misaka a permanent marker so she can write inappropriate things on her face, says #10035 revealing a mischievous side."

Mikoto's expression appeared very confused as she watches three of her sisters circling around a semi-conscious sister and talking smack about her. She sighed.

"I'll get my clothes," she shouted while turning around. She yawned and stretched her back and arms in the air. Walking towards her dresser, she extended her right arm across her chest and squeezes it between her left arm. Lightning rose from her forehead, sending her hair up. She had a strong look of determination in her eyes that one could say it outshone the lightning surrounding her.

(I don't know who this scumbag thinks he is, but if he thinks he can just come into my city and hurt my sisters, he's got another thing coming!)


	23. Chapter 3 Part 9

12:57 PM

"Uiharu," Kuroko said into her device. "*FWISH!* Describe to me what it looked like when the assailant teleported."

"Oh. Right!" Uiharu dutifully replied.

There was a brief pause. Kuroko assumed that Uiharu was replaying the feed from when right after Abicus robbed Yomikawa.

"Ummmm… he walks down a busy street. But as soon as he blends in with the crowd of students, he disappears."

Kuroko scratched her chin.

(Why is that?) *FWISH!* she pondered, cupping her chin with her left hand. (Is there some sort of requirement he needs to meet? He's not moving like someone with teleportation abilities normally would…)

"Saigou," Kuroko said. "Was there anything odd about what Abicus did? Describe every detail of his escape from the two Anti-Skill members."

"I...actually wasn't looking at him," he responded. "But Yomikawa had eyes on him at all times. He didn't disappear until after…"

Saigou's voice abruptly came to a halt.

"Saigou? What happened?"

"... until after I walked in front of her, blocking her view of him."

Kuroko's eyes lit up as she gasped. Saigou didn't have to directly say it but they both came to the same conclusion.

"Thank you Saigou."

"Huh?" Uiharu said in a confused manner. "Wait… I don't understand. Did you figure something out?"

"Sure did. *FWISH!* The requirements to our fleeting pervert's ability. *FWISH!*"


	24. Chapter 3 Part 10

12:58 PM

Abicus bounced down a suspiciously deserted street like nobody's business.

(Hmm, this street is suspiciously deserted as I bounce down it like nobody's business.)

See? What'd I tell you?

He would receive an answer to his implied question in the form of a large mob of teenage students with green arm bands on the right sleeves of their shirts wielding riot shields and long, metal four headed spears.

(Oh. That's why.)

A second year girl with short brown hair and peach colored skin stepped forward with a megaphone.

"Halt!" she shouted. "In the name of Judgement, Abicus you are under arrest!"

(The hell does she know my name?)

Abicus kicked off his left foot and glided across the ground at high speed. He raised his wand.

"Misdirection," he says with no hint of enthusiasm.

In spite of being armed with riot shields that could protect a blow from an armored suit, Abicus plowed right through a path of students. They flew helplessly to the sides, smacking either the walls or windows of the adjacent buildings or landing on the sidewalk.

(Fucking Christ, they're sending children after me? Are they that desperate? What the fuck is wrong with this universe? I may be a pervert who specializes in stealing panties in broad daylight but I draw the line at fighting minors.)

Abicus turned around and saw the remaining Judgement members running after him. He kicked off on his right foot, making the impossible to breach gap even more impossible to breach. He made a right turn into a sidewalk.

(You know, unless they really, really piss me off _._ )

He dashed along the sidewalk, closing the gaps of four blocks in about two minutes.

Hey, let's add some variety to this.

Abicus turned into a deserted alley. He looked back at the street behind him.

(I'd doubt they'd check alleys as thoroughly as streets. Plus, I'd cover more ground like this anyway. And- hey, that's a fine ass-oof!)

"Argh!"

Abicus fell back on his back with his legs in the air. His hat slide to his face as the back of his head hits the pavement. He groaned in pain while rubbing his stomach.

(Goddammit, what is it with me and running into people today?)

"Owwww, my head…"

A spiky haired high school student sat on his rear while rubbing his scalp with his right hand.

"Hey ass hat," Abicus bitterly said as he sat up with his hat still covering his face, defying zero gravity. He slid the hat to the top of his head with his wand. "Watch where you're fucking walking."

"How about you follow your own advice?" the boy snapped back without looking at him.

"Kami-yan?" a voice projected out of a black cell phone in front of the boy. "You okay? What happened?"

Abicus stood up and massaged his neck with his right hand. The boy looked at him for a moment as he cleaned his suit of any dust by tapping it with his wand. Without looking away, he crawled over to the phone and picked it up. He paused for a moment before speaking into the phone.

"Tsuchimikado?" he finally said while keeping his eyes glued onto the mildly curious magician. "Can you tell me again how close I am to those saws?"

Abicus squinted. The boy had his full attention.

"Right in front of you genius. Ah, I take it you found the wielder already, right? Well, go do your thing."

"Yeah."

The phone made a beeping noise as it is hung up. The spiky haired student looked at Abicus with a serious expression, much like the protagonist of a Western moments before a showdown with the antagonist.

"Alright, hand them over. Give me Oswald's Saws."


	25. Chapter 3 Part 11

Z-City, 1:01 PM

"Hey, where did Demon Cyborg go?" Mumen Rider asked after noticing a lack of input from him in a while.

"Weren't you listening?" Tatsumaki scolded. "Child Emperor told him to run to Caped Baldy's house and pick up a personal belonging of his that he's touched recently."

"...Okaaaaaaay?"

"You don't even know why, do you?"

"Don't be so hard on him," interjected Atomic Samurai. "It's kind of hard to keep track of your surroundings when it's this boring."

"Ah, speak of the devil," Fubuki said, pointing down the block.

Everyone turned their heads to Genos as he sprints towards them, shooting rockets out of his palms to accelerate himself. He stopped the rockets and slide to a halt in front of an unflinching Bang. A black skid mark stretched for several meters behind him.

"Sorry for the delay," he said, holding a green gym bag underneath his right shoulder.

"How did that not catch on fire?" questioned Tatsumaki.

"Ah, just in time," said Child Emperor using his pinchers to walk. In both hands, he held a black cube with a white circle holding a black "8" in the center of one side. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the 8-Cube. It allows us to travel between dimensions and doubles as a DNA tracking device. With this, we should be able to track Saitama no matter which universe he is in."

"So that's what the bag is for," Mumen Rider said.

"Yes," Genos confirmed. He unziped the bag and revealed several folded boxers, socks and a pale indigo tooth brush. "However, I could not decide what which would be the most effective item in tracking sensei. So I brought all of them."

"...What the hell…" Speed-o'-Sound Sonic whispered.

"That's, a bit of a stretch, doncha think?" asked Atomic Samurai.

Fubuki covers her mouth with her left hand as her right cups her elbow, blushing.

"Is that a stain?" Mumen Rider asked as he paled slightly.

" _What_ kind of stain is that?" says Puri-Puri Prisoner.

"Ahem," Child Emperor faux coughed. "Give me a boxer, stained preferably."

Genos' eyes scan through the gym bag as he rummaged through it. Various charts appeared in his vision, observing each pair of boxers for the quality of stains. He heard a beeping sound as he focused on a gray pair with a dark stain in the center of it. He shamelessly picked it up gave it to Child Emperor.

"Thank you," he said as he puts a pincher through the entrance of the boxers. He brought it half an inch away from the 8-side of the cube. The top of the circle emitted a thin green light that traveled down the boxers. Child Emperor placed the cube on the ground and stepped away from it. In about a second, a bolt of purple lightning shot out of the left side of the cube, creating a wormhole in the process.

Inside the wormhole was an image of another cleaner, and semi futuristic city.

"This is the universe Caped Baldy is currently in," Child Emperor announced.

"W-wow," said Puri-Puri Prisoner in awe. "I've been inside some sketchy holes but this one takes the cake."

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic turned to him.

"Why is everything sex with you?" he asked.

"Well, here we go." Child Emperor said as he walked towards the wormhole. Genos walked directly him as he has been eager to do this since the morning. Mumen Rider gulped and walked his bike to the portal. The rest of the group soon followed.

"Has this thing been tested?" Fubuki asked folding her arms.

"This _is_ the test," responded Child Emperor without looking at her.

Fubuki squinted in annoyance as Child Emperor put on a sly smirk.

The group of heroes stepped into the wormhole leading to an unknown world, surely ready to take on trial in order to save their friend from unknown perils.

...Or so they thought.


	26. Chapter 3 Part 12

Academy City, 1:02 PM

"...What?"

Abicus didn't realize he spoke out loud until after the words left his mouth.

"You heard me," Touma sternly responded.

(Impossible…) Abicus thought. (I'm from an entirely different universe. I bought these saws online in an entirely different universe. How could he-)

"Give them here!" Touma shouted.

"I...don't know what you're talking abou-"

"Don't play dumb, dammit! I know you've got Oswald's Saws in your possession! Just give them here already!"

Touma held out his right hand. Abicus looked at him for a moment before speaking again.

"Hypothetically speaking... why the hell would I do that?"

"Because there's a bunch of dangerous people coming after you because you have them!"

(What the fuck?...What the fuck? How do people even know I have them?)

"And who are you exactly?"

"That's not important. A bunch of people from an organization of magicians called Necessarius are coming after you because you're wielding very dangerous and illegal magic."

Abicus' eyes widened.

"Kid, what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm saying those saws that you have are running on stolen magic from what can be one of the world's leading magical nations. And now they want it back. In other words, the origin of those saws is this universe."

"And now I'm being branded a criminal for using them?" Abicus' voice took on a laid back and sarcastic tone. He shrugged his shoulder as smirked."Seems kind of unfair. I was just an unsuspecting magician looking for something to use in my sawed in half routine."

"Unsuspecting my ass! Only an immensely powerful magician can even use them! That means you've been practicing very hard for a considerable amount of time at the very least."

Abicus squinted and frowned at the very annoying high school boy who knew more than he should.

"Just what the hell are you, anyway? I find it puzzling that some average high school brat such as yourself would know any of this. Are you affiliated in anyway with this Necessarius?"

"If you really must know, my name is Touma Kamijou. And no, I'm not really a part of them. Just some average high school student unlucky enough to get mixed up in all of their drama. What about you?"

"Hmph."

Abicus smirked as he brought the base of his top hat down to cover his eyes.

"They call me Abicus the Magnificent."

"Okay, Abicus. Sorry for yelling at you earlier. But please. Hand over the saws."

In spite of the calm demeanor Touma was displaying, his stomach was in knots. He thought back to what Tsuchimikado told him. The man from another dimension that stood before him held objects that have technically killed him twice before. Should he incite any sort of hostility and force a chase, he risks causing another dimensional cut. He did not know what he would do in that event.

But what made him most fearful was that he did not know if he _could_ do anything should that happen.

"Sorry kid, no can do."

Touma's eyes widened.

"You see," Abicus said with a sly smile, tugging on the tip of his top hat. "I'm already on the run right now and I don't plan on giving away my best method of escape just yet."

Touma squeezed his right fist to the point where he felt pain.

"Do you have any idea what kind of power you're wielding right now?!" he said taking a step forward with his right leg. "Do you know how many lives are at stake here?! That yours is in danger too?!"

Abicus scowled at Touma.

"Of course I do. I read the instructions online where I bought it from. I'm not stupid enough to destroy my own dimension just for some panties. This is just a brief detour. Gimmie a week or so and then I'm out of here."

Touma stared at Abicus in contempt.

"Wait… what did you say?"

"This place is just a pit stop until I make my grand exit to some other universe or maybe back home if I feel like it-"

"No… did you say panties?"

"Oh. Right. Guess there's no harm in telling some small fry like yourself. You see, in my home universe, I'm a very famous and wanted panty thief. I had to split before some bald super hero punched my lights out."

Touma did not take time to assess the absurdity of that last sentence. His mind wondered to what Tsuchimikado told him regarding his gym teacher Ms. Yomikawa. Having something so precious stolen from such a caring woman made him feel ill.

"So," Touma said in a low voice, progressively getting louder with every other word. "Let me get this straight. You're risking the destruction of our universes to fulfil your filthy perversions?!"

"Judge me all you want but it's a calling my young cohort."

"I'm not your cohort. Give me the saws."

"Pfft." Abicus waved his wand in a circular motion, creating a purple stream of light following the tip. "Or else what?"

"Or else I'll take them by force."

"Pfffffft-ahahahahahaha! That's rich! Kid, do you even know what I'm capable of? You said it yourself, only an immensely powerful magician could use Oswald's Saws. Do you know what that means? I could burn you to a crisp with the flick of the wrist! Or I could send forty thousand volts of electricity your way. I've spent two years mastering several forms magic. Face it kid, I'm way out of your league. It'd be a cold day in hell before you could stand a chance against m-"

"Shut the fuck up."

Abicus squinted. His left eye twitched as he squeezed his wand between his palm.

"And stop calling me kid. I already told you, my name is Touma Goddamn Kamijou and I don't give a shit how powerful you are. You're gonna give me those mother fucking saws or I'll knock your corny ass, old ass, long nosed ass, outdated penny show magician ass into the next dimension myself!"

Any intention to talk things out had been thrown out the window. Touma reasoned that since Abicus didn't want to destroy his home universe, he wouldn't try to use Oswald's Saws to escape. And before, he was just about to leave. Pissing him off into a fight was the only way to ensure that he could get possession of them.

The irritation Abicus felt for this person has reached its climax. Any plans he had of escaping were thrown aside. Now, he had to teach this punk a lesson.

"Kid," Abicus said sinisterly. "You just opened up your own coffin. Alakazheemo…"

The lid of a tin garbage can floated over in front of Abicus.

"Alakhazingo!"

Touma dashed forward. With an explosive sound, the lid suddenly shot at high speed towards him. At the speed it was traveling, it could easily shatter a few bones.

However…

Touma caught the lid with his right hand. Abicus' eyes flared up in surprise.

(The fuck?) he thought.

Still running, Touma cocked his arm back and flung it forward. The lid made a peculiar sound as it smoothly spun through the air. Abicus lost a few seconds processing the shock of Touma catching it that he doesn't have enough time to misdirect it. He quickly shifted his upper body to the left while holding onto the tip of his top hat, avoiding the lid that soared out of the alley.

Still slouched to the left, he saw Touma about a foot away from him. Gritting his teeth and squeezing all of the muscles in his right arm, he positioned his feet into the ground, switching from running to punching form. He threw his weight forward, adding more force to the velocity he picked up while running.

Abicus' eyes widened. In the position he was in, he wasn't able to block or use any spells to avoid the attack. With the fist inches away from his face, Abicus leaned back and swept his front foot forward, allowing him to spin around Touma's fist and narrowly dodge the attack. He ran a few steps before turning around.

Touma took a few clumsy steps as he lost his balance. He ungracefully himself around to face his around to face Abicus who had his wand raised.

"Alakazheemo…"

The garbage can where he got the bin from slowly floated about 3 ½ meters into the air. Nonetheless, Touma ran towards him at full speed.

"Alakazhingo!"

As Abicus swung his left arm down, the garbage can bolted downward at. With surprising agility, Touma leapt to the left, avoiding the garbage crashed into ground, forming a crater twice its radius. Touma continued to stride towards Abicus with a stoic demeanor, about two meters away from his target. Abicus refused to lose his composure as he hopped back, swinging his wand backwards in the process. He grinned as the garbage can flew for Kamijou's back.

Very subtly, Touma squinted. When the garbage can was about two feet away from he, he kicked his back leg forward between strides. It kicked up dust as it slid across the pavement. He pivoted his other foot and firmly planted it into the ground as he swung his entire body 360 degrees. He clenched every muscle in his body as he cocked his fist back. With his back facing his enemy, he leaned forward and let centrifugal force give him power.

With a loud thud, the garbage can rotated several meters across the air as its contents spilled out. It spun into the street.

Without acknowledging what he did, Touma swung his body back around and resumed running towards the baffled magician. He took a step back and grunted nearly inaudibly. Within seconds, he caught up to Abicus and positioned himself to throw a hook towards his jaw.

Abicus clumsily took a step back, which caused the fist to makes a "woosh" sound as it sliced through the air in front of him. Touma pursued with another punch with his left fist but Abicus parried it with his right hand. He then clenched it and whipped it. Touma quickly blocked it with his right forearm, causing the two to bounce off a foot away from each other.

Not a second later, Touma dashed forward, closing the distance between them in three steps. He slid for a few inches as he threw his right fist forward with all his might.

However, Abicus foresaw the attack and delivered a swift roundhouse kick to his stomach. Touma stumbled backwards a meters. Abicus briefly assessed him as he held his stomach in pain.

(This kid sure does love his right hand,) Abicus thought. (But such a habit makes him predictable. Not that it matters.)

"Alakazheemo…"

The cars passing several meters behind Touma caught Abicus' attention. He slowly brought his wand up. A black garbage bag raised from a nearby seven foot wide green dumpster in between them.

"Alakazhingo!"

The garbage bag flew towards Touma.

"Owuaaaaaaaaahhhhh!"

He punched it with his right hand, sending it flying a few feet back before skidding on the. But Abicus was no longer in in front of him.

"Boo."

Touma's eyes widened. He tried to turn around but from behind him, Abicus smashed his left elbow into Touma's back. The boy stumbled to the ground but quickly recovered with a summersault. Unrelenting in his assault, his leaned forward once more.

With his left arm, Touma threw a cross but Abicus leaned back to avoid it. Before Touma could hit him with a right cross, Abicus pushed off his head to flip several feet meters away from him.

"Alakazheemo…"

The green dumpster floated into the air above Touma. He looked up with a tense look.

"Alakazhingo!"

The dumpster slammed hard against the ground, leaving a crater five times its radius. Touma jumped backwards to avoid being crushed but the shock from the fall knocked him across the ground for a few feet. Abicus aimed his wand forward and the dumpster slides along the ground at his towards Touma.

To his surprise, Abicus heard a thud but as the dumpster suddenly stopped moving. From around the dumpster, Touma ran out unharmed.

(What the fuuuuuuuck…)

Abicus raised his wand into the air and then forcefully jerked it down.

"Gale Wind! Level 4!"

A strong gust of wind hit Kamijou. The tin garbage can and even the green dumpster were easily flung into the street. Touma's body was swept into the wind. In a few seconds, he would be knocked into oncoming traffic. However, instead the immense force that could easily lift a truck several feet suddenly stopped. Touma fell to his back and slid a few feet. He lightly supported his held out right arm by tightly squeezing his forearm.

A stream of sweat slid down the side of Abicus' temple as he stepped back, fearfully mystified. He blinked a few times, ignoring reality completely. In his daze, Touma took the opportunity to close the distance between them yet again.

Touma's savagely swung his right fist towards Abicus' chin but he shifted his body to its outside to dodge the attack. He then pivoted his front foot, spinning around Touma and then elbowed him in the lower rib cage. Touma grunted and gritted his teeth as he took a step forward. He spun around and swung the back of his left fist but Abicus already jumped back three meters. Touma raises his clenched fists towards his face, ready to defend against any incoming attack.

Abicus assessed the boy before him with a caution he has not used in hours.

(Is he…)

After a momentary stand-off, Touma sprinted towards Abicus.

(Is he canceling my magic?)

During Abicus' pondering, Touma quickly covered the span of six feet. Abicus snapped out of his daze.

(No… Nononononononono! Imposible! I'm the world's most powerful magician! There's no way this average ass brat can best me! NO FUCKING WAY!)

Abicus whipped his wand up and waved it in a circular motion.

"Uzumaki!" he viciously spat out.

A whirlpool appeared between them.

"What?!" Touma shouted, sounding very confused.

Touma was quickly lifted into the air and sucked towards the miniature tornado. But doing a complete emotional 180, he thrusted his palm towards the twister, shattering its existence. The effects from the gust of wind had propelled him forward at high speed.

From the moment he saw the tornado, Touma already had a plan in mind. Realizing this puts Abicus is a state of unease.

His arm still raised, Touma balled his fist as he pulled it back.

Abicus was expecting the twister to bring him closer so he could kick him. However, he did not anticipate that his twister would be destroyed. Touma shouting in confusion earlier threw him off even more. Abicus already had his right leg cocked back in preparation for a roundhouse kick.

(...What…?)

Touma was seconds away from the magician. Abicus had no choice but to go through with the attack. Shifting his weight to one side made him lose his balance. But he remained committed towards landing a kick on Touma. The power from his kick would be reduced due to his lack of balance and sudden shift but at least he would still be able to land an attack while simultaneously avoiding one.

If only he were more graceful.

Abicus' leg sunk firmly into Touma's gut. But not before Touma's fist grinded across his cheek. The momentum gained from the twister combined with Kamijou's twisting of his fist and twisting of his body allowed him to land an attack much stronger than Abicus' off balance kick. However, the kick also reduced the blow of the attack by a degree.

It felt as if thousands of tiny needles were simultaneously being pinned into his cheek.

"Tsk!" Abicus grunted as he flew backwards a meter.

Touma was knocked back a bit and slides across the ground on his feet and hand.

"Uzumaki!"

Abicus suddenly became engulfed in a tornado. He levitated momentarily before the twister rotated forward, aiming the top part at Touma. Abicus was launched like a cannonball through the air. He tucked his feet in and then thrusts his legs forward, delivering a devastating drop kick towards Touma. In spite of him blocking, he is knocked through the air and rolled against the ground towards the end of the alley several meters ahead.

Touma lied on his back with his arms folded above him. His felt a numbing sensation in his upper body that made it hard for him to breath.

(Now's my chance!)

Abicus desperately aimed his wand at the incapacitated Touma.

"Amaterasu!"

A massive flame dragon shot out of the tip of the wand. It roared as it sailed through the air at high speed. The walls on either side were slightly liquified by the extreme heat.

Abicus shot flame as hot as the sun towards the ground in front of the immobilized Kamijou.

In a large orange explosion, his figure was engulfed in those flames in an instant.

Abicus observed vigilantly as the fire consumed one end of the alley, turning the walls and ground into a liquidy substance. He took pleasure at the beautiful sight before him before walking towards the end of the alley.

He looked around for a few seconds and smiled sinisterly, almost drooling at a most pleasurable scene.

Before him, a black student vest was being consumed by fire.

"Hmph."

Abicus triumphantly sighed and turned around to walk away. He deduced that Touma could block the attack but he was unable block regular environmental damage. Parts of the surrounding walls fell after having uneven sections softened.

Surely, he was taken out by the walls and then trapped by the flames as hot as the sun.

He was relieved that the troublesome boy who has somehow negated his powers was eliminated. However, that's not how he would explain it.

Even though he had witnessed it happen with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe that someone could just cancel his abilities with literally the wave of his hand.

Abicus spent two years developing his magical prowess. They were ingrained into his identity to the bone. Because of these powers, he has alluded some of the most crafty of heroes and had succeeded with many a petty crime.

Power corrupts. He had long forgotten the feeling of being an average man. He was high on his own power and was hellbent on to never coming back down. Which was why he so vehemently refused to acknowledge that he could be reverted to a time where he wasn't all powerful.

While basking in his greatness, a thought ran through Abicus' mind.

(Wait… why would the vest be the last thing burning? Wouldn't the fire have indiscriminately engulfed him on every angle? In fact, I didn't even hear him screaming in pain or see a body… If his vest could survive a few seconds, why wouldn't the rest of his body…)

Flame still engulfed sections of the end of the alley. Parts of the ground had been turned to a liquid cement like substance.

Abicus' eyes shot open. He swung his entire body around, a blue sphere appearing on the tip of his wand.

( _That little shit-_!)

He could barely make out light footsteps from around the corner of the alley.

The fire before him split in half and revealed a tightly clenched fist.


	27. Chapter 3 Part 13

1:05 PM

A teenaged security guard yawned as he leaned back into a stretch. A tear slid down from the corner of his eye as he shuffled through a nearly deserted parking lot. He slowly approached a shiny gray car. He rummaged through his right pocket for a few seconds before pulling out a ring of five keys. After failing twice, he eventually got to the right key. A delighted smile appeared across his face when he heard the the lock click.

After unlocking the car, he slouched into the driver's seat and closed the door. He placed his hand on the wheel with no intention of driving. It was his lunch break but he planned on taking a quick nap. It's not that he worked a long shift or anything. His job was just that boring. Preventing an accident on the road was also something he had in mind.

He pulled out a smartphone and set the alarm for fifthteen minutes. He then pulled out a set of white headphones and connected them to the phone. He slumped further into the chair and blinked a few times before slowly letting his heavy eyes shut.

About a second later, he jumped in his seat at the sound of something tapping loudly against his windshield. He was greeted by four identical looking girls with night vision goggles pointing machine guns at his face and chest.

"Misaka apologizes but we are in an crisis and require an efficient mode of transportation, calmly explains Misaka #10035. So please don't do anything hasty and maybe you won't get hurt."

The young man didn't know how but seconds later he was out of the car and a fifth girl without goggles appeared, repeatedly bowing in front of him. A few more seconds later, the car drove away. He must have spaced out due to the shock of the scenario because he did absolutely nothing, seemingly forgetting that he had a walkie talkie that would lead directly to Anti-Skill.

The security guard looked on in disbelief wearing a smile.

"You better return thish after we're done," Mikoto said in a stern voice with her arms folded. On her left were two of her sisters. The one in the center held her machine gun to the side, ready to shoot anything that made even a subtle movement. The one on the right seat stared blankly at the roof as drool slowly poured out of the corner of her mouth. One sat in the passenger seat with her gun in her lap as she gazed at the blurring scenery behind window. The last sister had her hands firmly planted on the 3 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions of the steering wheel.

"Misaka can't guarantee anything as this is a very dangerous trek towards vengeance and collateral damage is sure to unfold, explains #10032 without diverting her attention from the road, carefully but illegally driving the borrowed motor vehicle that was definitely not stolen from the nice young man who complimented our looks."

"Borrowed my ass! He looked so sad, it was pitiful! He probably worked really hard to get this. Or maybe it might belong to a relative of his! Or the company he works for! Either way, he's totally in trouble if we don't bring it back in one piece and I don't want to be held responsible for any expenses!"

"Frankly dear sister, that is none of Misaka's concern and if you were so worried about getting caught stealing, then you should have stayed in bed, replies #10039 indifferently but accurately."

"Thash cold!... Anyway, where exashactly are we even going? *sniff*"

"The Misakas have picked up the location of our assailant by hacking the radiofrequency of an Anti-Skill channel using low level electromagnetic waves. As you know, the Misaka Network allows for wireless communication. Essentially, we applied the same principle and doing so has allowed us to find the current location of our target along with his physical description, explains #10356 as she stares out the window and contemplates the life she has led that made her deserving of such harsh treatment."

Mikoto raised her right eyebrow.

"But how?"

"By manipulating where our phones receive radio signals using our electrokinesis, we can intercept messages from Anti-Skill and Judgement. Misaka is disappointed that she needs to explain this to Academy City's premiere electro master, chatizes #10356."

A vein appears on the side of Mikoto's head.

"T-thash not what I meant! I mean how did you even know where to shtart looking? And wouldn't they trace back the signal that suddenly received confidential messages? Were you even careful enough to make sure you didn't leave any foot prints behind?"

"The targeted Misaka sister has been informed that Anti-Skill has become involved in the pursuit of our target, Abicus. A five foot five elderly pale man with a white beard and angular face. He is dressed like an old fashioned magician as seen in many stereotypical portrayals and even has a cape. We know Anti-Skill and Judgment communicate with each other wirelessly via a closed network. All we had to do is find out where that network was and make it so that we could receive messages from a device that has a radio function. Such a task is no problem with the combined might of four sisters, explains #10032 in a mouth full that makes her parched for some lemonade."

"Although, two more sisters were present within the immediate premises and have already continued on ahead since they were closer to the target. They will meet up with a platoon of more, jumps in #10356 out of nowhere."

"But you can't just hack a frequencies using your esper abilities alone. What devices did you use?"

The sister in the passenger seat flashed a flip phone with a cartoon frog design at Mikoto without looking at her.

"Your cellphone, responds #10039."

"THASH NOT RIGHT! You can't go around taking people's things without asking them firsht!"

"Misaka apologizes in advance but as you know, we are currently in an emergency and could not spare the time to ask, explains #10356."

"That, and we knew you would complain if we asked you to use your phone to hack a military frequency and quite frankly didn't want to hear your nagging supplements #10039."

"Grrrrrrrrr…"

Mikoto gritted her teeth as she was engulfed in blue electricity.

"Misaka would advise that not do that since an outside electrical pulse could cut off our radio waves and force us to stop to get it back, advices #10032."

The electricity crackled for a bit, Misaka sighing as they subsided. She folded her arms and turned to the left.

"Hmph."

"Misaka would like to add that big sister is beginning to sound like her old self and is making less vernacular inaccuracies in her speech, says #10039 like a proud parent."

"Although Misaka secretly wishes you wouldn't nag so much in the first place, says #10356 dutifully saying it like it is-ah."

The sister speaking was interrupted by Mikoto pulling on the side of her cheek in spite of the fact that there was a loaded machine gun pointed in her direction.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of your little subtle shnark routine!"

"S-hhhhtop thissssh at onceshhh, commandsh Mishaka, wishing to eliminate the awkwardnesh from her fetish of having her cheeks pulled."

Mikoto blushed and immediately releases her sister's cheek. She leaned back into the vegetative sister who did not seem to mind.

"Gross! That's so weird!"

Suddenly, #10356's eyes sparkled.

"That was also a lie, explains Misaka as she proceeds to pounce on big sister in a plight of blind vengeance."

"Huh?! Hey, shtooop that!"

The sister proceeded to jump on Mikoto and begins pulling on both cheeks, pinching them between her thumbs and the sides of her bent index fingers.

"Let's see how big sister likes having her personal space invaded and her fetish turned against her, exclaims Misaka as she continues tug on her sister's silly putty cheeks."

"Isht's not my fetish! And my cheek's are not putty now let go!"

"So you do have a fetish, deduces Misaka prodding for more information as she increases the intensity of her torture."

"Now now, Misakas. That is no way to treat your sisters. Do not make Misaka come back there and give you both a paddling, chatizes #10039 as she turns to look at her unruly sisters with disapproving eyes."

"And who the hell are you? asks Misaka at the patronizing sister who seems to think she is the boss of Misaka."

"Yeah, shtay out of thish!"

#10039 looked at her sisters for a moment before pointing her machine gun in their direction. The tussling Misakas stopped moving entirely like a deer noticing the headlights of an oncoming truck.

"Did you think Misaka was joking? retorts Misaka as she reinforces how serious she is about paddling her ill behaved sisters. Especially you big sister. I am truly ashamed at your immature actions towards your younger sister. As the big sister, it is your responsibility to be a shining example for the younger sisters to follow. And yet here you are, indulging in childish rough housing."

"Get bent, bitch!"

"I will turn this stolen vehicle around, take you two back to big sister's school and make you walk all the way to the target site if you do cease this insipid horsing around, threatens #10032."

"Then how will you get there before Anti-Skill takes him into custody, genius?"

There was a brief silence among the car.

"Misaka thinks you should shut your mouth and do what she says, replies Misaka after briefly considering what she just said."

"Oh, forget you-AHHH!"

"Big sister has left herself open for a sneak attack, explains Misaka as she further advances her assault-ah."

Suddenly, the car was enveloped in an electrical charge. The tires rubbing against the road made a loud scratching sound as it swerved across the street for a few seconds before finally stopping. Many cars managed to drive around around them while forming tire marks on the street.

All of the sisters in the car were blackened.

"Duuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhh," said #13577 as she stared at the ceiling without a care in the world.


	28. Chapter 3 Part 14

1:11 PM

Abicus hopped backwards to avoid the diagonal punch from Kamijou. He stepped forward and threw a roundhouse kick with his right leg. Touma blocked it with his left arm but not without feeling the brunt of the attack. He flew backwards a few feet.

"Is that the best you've got?" Touma shouted. "You corny ass magician!"

(Who the fuck…) Abicus thought as he grinded his teeth and his left eye twitched. He raised his arm and waved his wand is a circular motion.

"Fifty-two Drop Down!"

A giant deck of fifty two playing cards appeared in front of Abicus. Abicus threw his arm down, propelling the cards forward at high speed one at a time.

Touma swung his right hand while side stepping. The giant cards crumbled as they make contact with his palm. He hopped over one and punched another, reducing it to a purple mist.

"Tsk!"

Realizing the frivolity of the attack, Abicus dispersed the cards.

"What kind of name is Abicus anyway? Did you misspell abacus on the keyboard and just roll with it?"

"Rubiosa!"

After tapping his right arm, Abicus whips it downward. It stretched several feet and smashed the ground where Touma was before stepping out of the way. The stretched arm then reeled to the right, tripping Touma and knocking him on his back.

A moment later, Touma saw Abicus leaping several feet above him. He does a backwards somersault to avoid being pummeled. Dust and fragments of the ground flew up after Abicus' landed.

"How does that even happen? "A" and "I" are on opposite ends of the keyboard!"

"FUCK YOU, IT WAS 4 AM! XOLOTL!"

A large surge of blue lightning with some sort of red eyed dog shaped head shot out of Abicus' wand. The electronics for several blocks ceased working, causing a mass confusion among employees and wandering youth as well as halting the cleaning units and even the cars as well. A few cars that were out of the range crashed into the cars that abruptly halted.

The lightning swerved around Touma's right hand. He supported himself by holding his arm with his free hand. Touma nearly shutt his eyes completely due to the bright light emitted.

After a few more seconds, the lightning stopped pouring out. The sides of the walls and the ground around Touma were blackened.

Touma slowly lowered his right hand, looking almost unimpressed.

"Been there, done that."

Abicus indignantly gritted his teeth. His brow furrowed as his face turned into a bright red.

"Grrrrrrr. No! Impossible! I'm the world's most powerful magician!"

" _Your_ world's most powerful magician."

In spite of his fury, Abicus took a split second to consider the possible truth behind that statement.

"Even so! I've gathered an immense amount of power during my studies! I should have clobbered you to a bloody pulp already! Or burned you to a crisp! I'm superior! My abilities far exceed yours! So why haven't I won yet?!"

"Is that what you think this is? A contest of who's got the flashiest moves? Is that all you think fighting is?"

"What did you saaaaaaaaaaaay?!"

"Do you really think that being more powerful or capable at anything makes you the superior person? You mean to tell me that someone who flaunts his strength and looks down on those weaker than him is better than someone who is humble and treats everyone equally? That a strong person who doesn't even respect the very power that he thinks elevates him above everyone else is worth more than a weak man who knows the true value of strength? People aren't so simple that you can rank them just according to their abilities. It doesn't matter if you're the strongest person in the world. If you use that power to hurt others or for your own selfish gain, can you really say that you're superior to anyone?!"

Abicus stareed at the ground and clenches both fists. All of the muscles in his face seem to have lost their functioning as his mouth hung open.

"Shut up…"

"I don't understand what it is that makes powerful people look down on everyone else who can't do what they do. And I don't understand why some choose to pervert that power. At the end of the day, you're still a human just like me. And everyone else on this planet. And isn't it all that matters? Isn't your humanity what's truly important? What, you think being stronger than others makes you more human? The very source of that feeling is a very human emotion itself: pride!"

"I SAID SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH YOU GODDAMN BRAAAAAAAT!"

In response, Abicus put a hand over the side of his wand. He moves his hand along it, revealing the decorated sheath of a rapier. He continued to moves his hand along the wand long after it passes where its length would normally end, revealing a 41 inch thin silver blade.

Abicus kicked off his left foot, gliding over the ground at high speed towards Kamijou. The frightened boy's body stiffend as he appears to be paralyzed in in a some sort of boxer's stance.

( _Oh shit!_ ) he thought.

It was as if all of the muscles in Touma's body refused to answer the signals sent from his brain that ordered them to move. He could not even feel his trembling legs anymore.

Abicus puts on a sadistic smile as he drew closer. Inches away from him, the tip of the rapier pointed at Kamijou's chest.

Then at the last possible second, Touma's body hopped to the right. It was like an out of body experience. He stared dumbstruck as his body seemingly avoids the deadly strike on its own accord.

Abicus scowled. He then skidded to a halt before swinging his sword around the the right. However, this time Touma ducked to avoid it, losing a few strands of hair in the process. While his eye twitched slightly, Abicus attempted to knee Kamijou in the face. Anticipating the follow up blow, Touma puts his arms up to guard. The attack sent him up a bit regardless.

Abicus swung the sword quickly in many directions. Touma clumsily avoids many fatal blows but not without sustaining various cuts across his body.

(He's too fast! I can't reach the sword!)

As Abicus effortlessly swiped the long sword, Kamijou hastily shifted his body to avoid them. A diagonal strike almost took his head off but he swung it to the left with a frightened expression. He didn't notice but some more of hairs his were sliced off and slowly descended to the ground.

At this point, Touma became desperate. He was only barely avoiding the attacks and getting worse with every passing second.

(I can't keep dodging forever…)

With yet another twisted smile, Abicus twirled the sheath of the sword between his fingers. Then he kicked off his left foot and thrust the rapier forward.

However, the results he anticipated went against his expectations.

He had more than enough time to dodge, which would have left him open for a counter attack.

Instead, Touma lunged forward.

The sword plunged deep into his lower abdomen.

"Ah?"

Atop of some tall building, Saitama observed a large bolt of lightning from several miles away out of the corner of his eye.

"...Hmmm."

(That miiiiiiiight be Abracadabris.)

Saitama leapt off of the building and onto another, closing the distance between where the lightning bolt originated by about ⅕.

(Of course, if Whitey is any indication, it could be just another spoiled brat with crazy powers too. But what are the odds of that?)

In about three minutes, Saitama landed on the center of the top of another building. He kept running until he reached the edge, noticing that he was on top of the building in front of where the lightning struck.

He instinctively looked down.

(What the hell?!)

Several feet below him in an alley across the street, he saw Abicus slicing the air with a rapier as a spiky haired teen aged boy clumsily avoided being cut. Saitama's eyes widened and his expression grew dim.

(Dammit, Abicus! You've gone too far! The children are our future!)

Saitama squatted in preparation to jump but hesitated for a split second. This was due to him witnessing Abicus plunging his blade through the boy's lower abdomen.

His pupil dilated. His heart skipped a bit.

Roughly a third of the building was obliterated in a dust explosion. As he soared through the air at blurry speed, Saitama cocked his right arm back and squeezed every muscle within it. In spite of his rage, he kept in mind that one serious punch could cause more damage than he intended.

Being a hero meant saving people. Even though all life is equal, the lives of the young are especially precious since they are the foundation that the future will be built upon. Therefore, they must be especially protected. Even someone as emotionally numb as Saitama held such a belief.

And his failure to live up to that belief threw him into a state of shock and despair.

"OWOAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

It didn't matter if he could defeat foes in one punch. It didn't matter if he was so strong that his life took because he could no longer gain a thrill from his fights. He wasn't fast enough to stop Abicus. And he wasn't smart enough to find him sooner to prevent such a tragedy from occurring.

For the first time since gaining his immeasurable strength, Saitama felt true fear and distraught. And he felt sadness from the very pits of his heart.

But all of these emotions were gathered simply because he was staring at an illusion.

Abicus stared dumbfounded at the boy. Touma returned the gaze with an expression that made Abicus feel like the very essence of his soul was being judged. The seemingly immobilized boy coughed up blood and a bit splashed on Abicus' face.

"Let me make this easy to understand," Touma calmly said.

Abicus stepped back and shifted his body weight and arms up with the intent to cut through Touma's torso. However, Touma merely raised his right hand and touched the blade, reverting it back to a wand.

Abicus, imbalanced,awkwardly fell backwards .

"Having an overwhelming power…"

It was such a simple concept that even The Gorilla Man could understand.

Imagine Breaker. The strange phenomenon that could cancel any form of magic or esper abilities with a single touch. The power to negate even miracles of God rested within Touma's right hand.

*CRUNCH!*

And that right hand rested within Abicus' jaw.

"...doesn't make you better than anyone."

The baffled magician flew back a meter. His body twirled once in midair before he landed on his back with a loud thud.

"Having an overwhelming power…"

*CRUNCH!*

Saitama, feet away from the gruesome scene, stared in shock and confusion as he looked ahead. To his left was Abicus, the magician Saitama was unable to harm, being launched through the air after a hit from this spiky haired teenager.

(No… Not another one.)

He cautiously rotated his head and saw the intense look in the boy's eyes.

"...doesn't make you better than anyone."

(O-one punch… He beat him in one punch.)

Abicus landed on his back with a loud slapping noise. He gagged as he stared at the sky with unfocused eyes.

Saitama took a few steps forward after making an unbalanced landing. He looked at the semiconscious magician for a moment and then back at the the focused teenager with a clenched fist and a stern expression.

After staring at Abicus for a few seconds, Touma noticed he was being watched and turned his attention to Saitama.

"Huh?"

There was silence between the two for some seconds.

(Why is there a bald man in a cape staring at me?) Touma thought as Saitama's cape blew in the wind.


	29. Between the Lines 2

*Inhale* *Sigh*

Hmm? Why are you still here? I figured you'd left already.

I was going to, but then I had this brilliant idea.

There's a first.

...The transport plane that Kanzaki has boarded will take approximately one hour and thirty seven minutes to arrive at Academy City assuming she left from London.

Your point?

I don't feel like waiting that long. So in order to compensate for the lack of faster transport…

...You do realize how much of a hypocrite that would make you, right? It's fairly sketchy to commit a crime in order to persecute someone for committing the same crime.

It's only necessary. Is that not the foundation for which this organization is founded upon? It's not like anyone has to know. Besides, as I've emphasized before, I don't trust that boy to do what's right when the time comes. The sooner we get this done, the better.

*Sigh.* When will you learn to show some gratitude for once in your life?

As soon as he grows some backbone. *Exhale*

Hehehe… You know, playing it cool doesn't hide your concern.

Shut up, woman.


	30. Chapter 4 Part 1

**The Burning Hearts of Valor.**

 _ **A_Painful_Metamorphosis.**_

 **Part 1**

1:15 PM

Touma and Saitama engaged in an awkward staring contest. Something about a bald stranger in a cape and a one piece jump suit staring coldly into your soul rightfully made Touma uncomfortable.

"Uh…" Touma uncomfortably said as he rubbed the back of his head.

(He looks like a western superhero. I wonder if he's looking for a convention? But, Academy City doesn't have these kinds of conventions…)

"Hey," Saitama finally said after sometime. "Do you work out?"

Touma nervously pointed at himself with his right hand. A light sweat dampened his face and his body subtly shook like an underfed cat.

(S-shit. He's talking to me. Quickly, say something nice and then find an excuse to walk away without arousing suspicion.)

"W-who me? Well, er, no. I mean, I'm always running around and getting into fights but it's not a daily regimen or anything."

(Nice.) Touma sarcastically derided himself.

Saitama walked up to Touma who cautiously observed him. Saitama placed his hands on the boy's shoulders and looked him in the eye. Touma gulped as a drop of sweat rolled down his the side of his temple.

"Don't do it."

"...What?"

"DON'T FUCKING DO IT KID! I'M TELLING YOU! LIFE GETS PRETTY DULL WHEN YOU'RE STRONGER THAN EVERYONE ELSE, YOU HEAR?!"

"W-what are you talking about?!"

Saitama rapidly shook Touma back and forth.

"You're young! You still have a chance! You still have a nice, long life ahead of yourself! Do you want to end up like me?! Hmm?! Bald before you even turn twenty-five?! Full of utter despair and lacking all motivation to excel life?! Is that your goal?! HM?!"

Touma winced as the strange man babbling nonsense shook him. A second later he broke free of Saitama's _light_ grip and backed up a few steps. He pulled out his phone and quickly punched in a number with his thumbs. He turned to the side and covered his mouth with his left hand to obscure Saitama's hearing.

"...Hello, is this the Anti-Skill hotline? Yes, I'm being attacked by a pervert. Yes, I'll hold."

Saitama's face practically melted off. He speed up to Touma.

"Hey, what's the big idea?! I'm not a pervert! I just tried to save you!"

"Normal people don't walk around in their PJs pretending to be superheroes!"

"Pretending?! Listen, I _am_ hero. A professional hero actually! Surely, you've heard of me! Saitama the hero?! Or even the… *sigh* Caped Baldy?"

"No!"

Saitama's face lost color and appeared frozen solid as the despair consumed his face.

"And besides, what the hell is a "professional hero?" Do you know how you sound right now? You sound like someone with Schizophrenia."

Silence filled the air as Saitama realized how obscure he was.

"Okay, that was kind of harsh. Look, I'm really sorry but I don't have time to entertain your delusions."

Touma jogged towards Abicus' semiconscious laid out body. He kneeled down on one knee and patted his torso down like an airport security guard.

"I need to do something very important right now."

"Hey, shouldn't you be in school?"

Touma paused for a second.

"Shouldn't you be at your job?"

He rummaged through the inside of Abicus' vest.

"This _is_ my job," Saitama said in an irritated tone.

(Hmmm…) Touma ponders. (He doesn't seem to have to saws on him. What if I…?)

Touma then patted Abicus' sleeves.

(I guess there really isn't anything up his sleeves. Damn, he must be using magic to hide them in some pocket dimension or something. Give me a break, is he a cartoon character? … Actually, that would explain his weird facial proportions. He _is_ from another universe after all.)

After that ludicrous comparison, a thought occurred to Kamijou.

(Wait a sec...If Necessarius has been looking for Oswald's Saws for over two decades and had a device that could detect its presence, why would they just now discover its whereabouts? Could it be possible that...)

Touma is too immersed in his thoughts to notice Saitama walking towards him.

(...maybe it wasn't even on this planet the entire time?)

Saitama grabbed Abicus by the shoulder. Touma looked up and pressed down on Abicus' gut. Saitama could have easily overpowered him but decided to hear him out instead.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"I told you already, I'm a hero. And I've been chasing this guy all the way from Z-City."

(Z-City?)

"Where the hell is that?"

"Here… In Japan. Man, don't they teach geography in school these days? Although we did go through a wormhole first and I did lose him as soon as we got here. So a wild goose chase would be a more accurate description."

Touma's pupils dilated.

"H-how did he make the wormhole?"

"Oh. He used some saws he pulled out out of somewhere like some cartoon character."

That sentence confirmed Touma's suspicions. Abicus, along with this strange bald man, were from another dimension. This meant that the last place Oswald visited before giving up was their point of origin.

"Anyway, I need to take this guy to the Hero Association before he wakes up. Since you don't seem to know how to get to Z-City from here, I guess I'll just ask around for directions."

Saitama hoisted Abicus over his shoulders. The magician made a low groaning noise. As he began to walk towards the exit of the alley in front of him, Touma stood up.

"Wait. Do you even know where you are?"

"Academy City. But that doesn't tell me how to get home."

"Do you even know what those saws did?"

"I mean. It looks like they just sent me to some city I've never heard of."

"Yeah but that's besides the point! You're in another dimension you idiot! Those saw warped you to a different universe entirely!"

"Say what?!"

"Freeze!" a loud, young female voice interrupted from behind the two.

Saitama and Touma turned to the direction of the voice at the end of the alley. A large group of high school students with green bands on their right arms is lined up. Touma turned to the other side of the alley and noticed another group, blocking their immediate paths of escape. Even though they were just looking forward, Kamijou was startled that a class of teenagers suddenly appeared before them without making a sound. The students wielded four headed metal spears and riot shields. A familiar girl in pigtails continues to talk.

"My name is Kuroko Shirai and in the name of justice, we'll be taking that unconscious magician into custody…"

Kuroko squinted as she made eye contact with Touma.

(Oh no…)

"The troglodyte?"

"Uh…" Saitama said. "What's this all about? Is this a flash mob?"

Kuroko teleported in front of Saitama and looked up to him as she spoke.

"That man over your shoulder is wanted for several accounts of sexaul harassment and theft. As members of Judgement, it is our responsibility to handle espers who use their abilities for injustice. And as a citizen, I advise you not to get yourself involved in such matters. So I'll have to ask you nicely to hand him over to us and please remove yourself and your delinquent cohort from the premises."

"...It's nice to see you too Kuroko." Touma replied with an exhausted expression.

"Citizen? Uh, yeah, no. See, I'm a hero. Just look at my costume."

"Sir, going around in your PJs and punching people does not make you a hero."

( _WHO THE FUCK-_ )

Touma cautiously looked in around him.

None of the Judgement members seemed to have any projectile weapons. And if he used the bald caped man as a spring, he can propel himself high enough to reach the fire escape ladder on his right. However, he is faced with Kuroko who could easily teleport him back to where he was. Unless he manages to touch her that is.

Touma swallows as he asses the situation he is in.

(So asking Judgement to nicely hand over the wanted criminal isn't going to work. Looks like I'll have to flee the scene and ask Tsuchimikado to help me sneak him out later. If this is as serious as I think, chances are more members of Necessarius are going get involved. Most likely they'll be people with intimate knowledge on Academy City. I'll probably have to team up with…)

"Hey, you," Kuroko said referring to the deep in thought Kamijou. He quickly turns his head.

"W-who, me?" he said pointing at himself.

"Why aren't you in school?"

"Uhhhhh, funny story actuall-BLAHHHARG! *Cough*"

As he was trying to find the words to explain the unfortunate circumstances that brought him to the scene without revealing too much, Touma vomited blood and fell to the side, holding his stomach. Kuroko and Saitama shivered at the sight.

"Oh my Lord!" Kuroko frantically exclaimed.

"Oh shit!" Saitama shouted. "I forgot, he got stabbed in the stomach with a sword!"

"How could you forget something as vivid as that?! What kind of hero are you anyway?!"

"Why are children so rude these days?!"


	31. Chapter 4 Part 2

1:18 PM

Misaka and her sisters sped down a street in the stolen gray car. Academy City's #3 folded her arms and pouted as while staring at the the blurring scenery. Her sisters sat motionless and slightly charcoaled.

There was an aura of belligerence in the air.

"You know, we would have been there earlier if big sister hadn't thrown a tantrum earlier, short circuiting our primary mode of transportation in the process, says #10032 recapping the events for the sake of the reader."

"Shut up," Misaka replied without removing her scowl from the rear view.

"Indeed, and not only that but you also disrupted our live feed to the Anti-Skill network and forced us to take the time to force ourselves back in, adds #10039 in an attempt to further guilt trip big sister."

"I said _shut up_."

"You are lucky two other sisters are already on their way using another stolen vehicle. We could have easily taken another car of our choosing but big sister nagged us into using the car again, expands #19090."

The car stopped at a red light. A Japanese motorcycle appeared a few feet next to the passenger seat. Two girls wearing Tokiwadai uniforms and helmets shared a seat. While one sister leaned forward slightly to grasp the handle bars, the second grabs hold of her waist the hold on. They looked at the gray car and wave. #10039 waved back stoically. At the green light, the motorcycle drove head.

"Look," Misaka said looking at the seat in front of her but referring to everyone present. "It only took us a few minutes to get the car running again and back into the Anti-Skill/Judgement network. Robbing someone else would have taken up more time than necessary anyway."

"This is true, but still. Every minute counts. The entire purpose of this quest is to seek justice for our distraught sister. And every distraction, even if it is but a second, is time lost towards completing this task, says #10032."

"Tsk."

Mikoto clicked her teeth and returned her gaze back to the window. She would not admit it but they were right and the guilt slowly ate at her soul. She channeled her anxiety by bobbing her leg. Only the most revolting and vilest of the scum of humanity would entertain the thought of violating a little girl, let alone any woman of any age. She wished nothing more then to find this Abicus and pulverise him.

Mikoto quickly sat up and squinted.

(A large swarm of electrons is coming.)

As the car passed an intersection, something fast landed on the hood of the car with a loud thud. It lifted the rear into the air and forced the front wheels to skid into the ground. The rear remained in the air for two seconds before it bounced off the ground twice and landed, shaking all of the girls inside of the car. The front wheels stopped entirely. #10039 and #10032 look ahead in utter shock.

"What the hell?!" Misaka said.

It appeared to be a man in his early twenties but stood out very much so. He had pale blonde hair, pale light skin, black sclera with orange yellow irises, and bulky mechanical arms revealed by a black tank top that made him come off as conceited on first glance. He wore black jeans that matched his shoes.

His expression could be described as no nonsense. He didn't look angry per se but rather determined and unwilling to put up with unnecessary distractions to accomplish his goal. He had a singular focus and wouldn't let anything or anyone get in his way. And part of his objective now had something to do with Mikoto and her sisters.

Misaka stared wide eyed at the entity. She heard rumors at school about Academy City's Dark Side having a secret cyborg program. Some sources said that they were remnants of badly injured Anti-Skill soldiers or even citizens given a second chance at life in exchange for performing handy work. If that were the case, then somebody from Anti-Skill must have intercepted their location by tracing the frequency to an unauthorized location. Misaka was no stranger to hacking into private frequencies.

Who ever found them must have been highly skilled with managing network frequencies.

His right foot rested firmly on the hood of the car, leaving a dent. He leaned forward with his forearm resting on his knee totally relaxed. Worst case scenario, somebody from the Dark Side figured out who Mikoto was by looking at the information on her phone and sent someone to deal with her accordingly. It would be strange for Anti-Skill to send someone to 'deal' with them unless she stumbled upon something she wasn't supposed to. That and being branded as Academy City's #3 could be meet with dangerous expectations so they most likely sent one of their strongest people… if you could even call them that. Either that or this guy was just overly confident.

Mikoto stared dumbfounded as she assessed the possibilities of the situation that unraveled.

(Dammit, why now?! We were so close! This is so unfortunate… _GACK!_ Great, now I'm starting to think like _that guy_.)

A spiky haired boy who constantly complained about his misfortune came to mind. Misaka wondered if he had something to do with this since he was always butting into dangerous situations that had nothing to do with him. The thought made her heart race and she subconsciously gripped her chest to calm herself down.

"Excuse me young ladies," the cyborg said in a calm voice. "It would appear that my systems have been intercepted a while back. I have been picking up radio signals coming from this location. Explain yourselves."

"Misaka would be more obliged to answer if you didn't damage her car, explains #10032 as she scowls bitterly at the handsome but rude metal man."

Mikoto stared at the back of #10032's seat.

(That you stole.) she thought. But it was hardly the time to worry about the specifics so she decided not to speak and refocus on the no-nonsense cyborg.

For a while, he didn't say anything.

"Coincidentally, I have also picked up on your conversation as well. And it would also appear that you are heading towards the location as my sensei. Now tell me: for what purpose do you armed young ladies have for stealing a vehicle and going to the same place as my sensei?"

"That's none of your business you creep!" Mikoto shouted reactively.

(Wait, what am I doing? This guy...this _thing_ just stopped a two ton car without breaking a sweat! For all I know, he could probably toss this thing into the ocean without breaking a sweat! Well, if his intent is to attack, the key to victory here is to strike first! I just need to bide my time and wait for an opening that won't destroy the car.)

Mikoto's eyes swiftly darted around the car. #10039 was not holding her machine gun but it rested under her feet. #19090 held her machine gun and had a clean shot. #10356 drooled as she smiled duly while she stared at the ceiling.

(Dammit...From where I'm sitting, I don't have a good shot. I'd have to stick my body out the window else my sisters and the engine would get caught in the crossfire. But the window's rolled down and the inside of this car's made of some fabric that doesn't conduct electricity. Argh…! I'm at a stalemate until somebody else makes the first move!)

"Your refusal to answer leaves me suspicious. I cannot allow you to continue any further."

"Misaka does not remember asking for your opinion, says Misaka running out of patience whilst shoehorning a badass one liner."

#19090 aimed her machine gun at the cyborg and pulled the trigger. With lightning fast instincts, he back flipped several feet into the air to avoid a barrage of bullets. The gunfire punched holes into the front windshield. #19090 seized her fire briefly to kick it down. She unbuckled her seatbelt and walked over the hood and resumed firing.

Misaka and her look alikes poured out of the car and line up in front of the car, aiming either a machine gun or a finger wielding a coin at the cyborg several feet in front of them. Several cars around them either swerved out of the way. Some crashed into each other which caused air bags to flare, dents, and even windows and lights to shatter .

A skidding car crashed into the gray car. Mikoto and her sisters leaped out of the way upon detecting the noise heading their way.

The skidding car flipped into the air. A woman driving with a man in the passenger seat screamed as they twirled.

Mikoto gasped as she raised her head from the ground.

The car rotated several times before crashing on its top with a loud noise. It slide a few feet before slowly stopping. The windows shattered and the upper portion containing it was completely flattened.

With a distraught look, Misaka's pupils dilated. She stared at the wrecked car for several seconds.

"...!"

Something in the air caught her attention. A black T shaped silhouette obscured by the sun caught her eye. It descended towards the ground and landed about three meters away from the girls. With the driver hoisted over his right shoulder and her male cohort being held by his collar in his left hand, the cyborg stared at the girls as has before.

He let go of the man's collar and supported the lady with both hands as he gently set her down.

"Get as far away from here as possible," the cyborg said to the woman without looking at her. She stared at him for a few seconds. " _Now_."

"R-right," the woman replied. She grabbed her shocked male associate's hand and they ran off. After a few moments, the man regained his focus and took the lead.

The girls stood up. The sisters aimed their guns and finger at the stoic cyborg. He returned their gaze with a steel indifference.

"Your first mistake was locating my sensei," he began. "Your second was recklessly involving civilians. I will not stand by idly as you do as you please."

Misaka subtly swallowed. Her mouth felt sandpaper so she moistened it herself but at the same time didn't want to show concern.

(S-shit… he's fast. He was right in front of me and I didn't even notice him move. But he saved those people so that should more or less confirm that he's working with Anti-Skill.)

"Pretty shitty of you to let those civilians go unattended," Misaka said with a smug smirk. "With all that speed, you could have easily gotten behind us and out of harm's way much more efficiently."

"Misaka agrees, says #19090 as she holds a steady aim with murderous intent at the metallic menace. Letting the civilians travel within the direct line of fire was a tactical error. We could have easily used them as a diversion and then attack you while you were distracted. Such an error in your thinking pattern will lead to your downfall."

"That was not an error. It's not that I thought you had a shred of decency as to not harm innocent civilians. My confidence is firmly rooted in a simple fact…"

The cyborg put his left leg back before bending his legs. He clenched his fists and brought his left forearm to his hip while holding his right arm diagonally in front of him. It looked like he skipped to the final frame of a low block with a slight altercation.

" _I determined that I would stop you before you even got the chance._ Your inaction proves my notion."

Misaka tightly squeezed the coin between her thumb and index finger.

(Damn… that was supposed to throw him off. Well, I'll just have to beat him to the punch! He may be fast, but let's see him dodge an attack four times the speed of sound!)

Mikoto was referring to her trademarked Railgun technique, which is when she electrically charges an object and sends it propelling forward at high speed. The combined thermal and electrical energy makes even a simple yen coin capable of very easily decimating a tank.

She would normally reserve this attack for someone wielding a suit of armor or some other means of powerful defense. However, this entity has demonstrated tremendous strength and speed. Being robotic could also mean he has a whole list of abilities that he hasn't shown yet.

(I mean, it just _looks_ like a person. It's not like I'm actually killing anybody, right? You can't trust school rumors… except for that one time that they were right about the sisters...)

Mikoto was prepared to fire her Railgun. However…

"Your notion is incorrect," said #10032 in a chilling voice and blank expression.

The sister slightly moved her machine gun to her left which aimed it directly at the the fleeing couple several meters away. The cyborg's eyes widened before he sidestepped so fast it appeared he teleported in their line of fire. In the blink of an eye, he hunched forward and rockets shot out of his palms, propelling him forward at high speed.

A slight smirk appeared on #10032's face. Given the speed and agility he had just showed, and that he was a robot, there was a possibility that he would dodge any incoming fire. However, since he wanted to protect the fleeing citizens, he would be traveling in one direction, which limited his options of dodging and made him an easy target.

Due to the hive mind that is known as the Misaka Network, the sisters were already well aware of the plan without having to discuss it. However, big sister Misaka was not part of that network and was completely left out of the loop.

(Dammit! I had a clean shot!)

She at least had a chance at a clean shot when the cyborg was in a stationary position. But now he stood directly in the path of the fleeing civilians. Even if she succeed in hitting him, the citizens would be blown to pieces.

The Misaka Sisters fired several rounds at the speeding cyborg, except for #13577 who couldn't grip the gun firmly enough to prevent the recoil from knocking her backwards to the ground with a dazed smile. The bullets bounced off his arms and chest and he only moved his arms to block anything aimed at his neck and eyes. He whispered something that was impossible to hear at his distance and amidst the bullet fire. After that, his arms started moved fast enough to create mirages of themselves, giving him the appearance of an arachnid.

The remaining Misakas side stepped in different directions while continuing their reign of fire. But the cyborg was too swift and durable. The bullets either missed or bounced off his body without him seeming to care.

The cyborg darted towards Misaka with a clenched fist. She thought about using her rail gun but went against it since there were too many cars around. They were all in danger of being harmed by a chain reaction of explosions. Using her magnetic capabilities, she quickly gathered a mass of dust particles to use as a black shield but it was easily blown away. The cyborg dashed a few meters past his target. He placed his hands in front of him and shot rockets, quickly propelling himself towards the unbalanced Misaka.

A second later, the cyborg approached her and swung his left arm horizontally. Misaka forced herself to fall backwards. A thin bolt of electricity pulled her to the ground quicker, barely avoiding an instant kill attack.

However, the cyborg put his left foot down in order to stop himself and kicked off to change directions. Even though he missed, he took advantage of that by expending rocket from his palm and dashed towards Misaka.

Less than a second later, the cyborg was about six inches away from her. She only just brought her arm into position to determine the perfect angle to fire her Railgun but he moved so fast that he appeared in front of her before she could noticed. When she processed this, he whipped down a glowing palm up in her direction.

As her pupils dilated, Mikoto instinctively brought her arms close to her face

( _Shit!_ )

An electrically charge sewer lid hit the cyborg on the side of his head. He flinched and his arm swerved at an angle that allowed Misaka to avoid harm. Misaka noted his eyes flickered when he was hit. She quickly rolled to stand up and took a few steps back. She briefly contemplated firing her Railgun but decided against it after seeing that two cars a few meters down would have been caught in the crossfire.

She would not risk her sisters lives like that.

She pointed her left index and middle fingers like a gun and shot a strong electric current at the cyborg. He responded by side stepping so fast he appeared to teleport. With a roar, Misaka surrounded herself in electricity and fired in several directions simultaneously. The cyborg managed to jump into the air in time.

Misaka noticed that he had been avoiding her attacks because he anticipated the direction of the strikes before they were fired at him and not because he was truly faster than light. This put her at ease since that meant he was still within hitting range. It was just a matter of anticipating _his_ moves.

If she were by herself, she might not have made it this far. However, she had 4, more or less, sisters who shared their thoughts. Their chance of winning was not totally beyond their reach.

While in the air, Genos seemed to notice one of the quadruplets was a few feet left of the electric wielder aiming her machine gun at him.

(I have to be weary of that electric user. Strong doses could short circuit my cybernetics. Although she doesn't seem to be capable of doing anything that would instantly shut me down. However...)

Genos aimed his palms up and used his jet repulsors to increase his descent tenfold. Bullets and sparks electricity followed him as he darted. He crashed into the street between the sisters with a loud noise, sending heaps of dust in the air.

(I have to finish this as quickly as possible. There are too many cars around for me to take full advantage of my Incinerator. I risk not only damage to myself but destruction on a scale that could potentially harm innocents that have not evacuated the area. I have to use small scale attacks that will only harm my targets-grkah?!)

Genos was interrupted by a stinging sensation in his lower abdomen. A thick black rod pierced through his stomach and protruded from out of his back. He looked up at the delighted teenaged girl with brown haired school girl holding a 2 ½ meter long, 130 cm wide black rod. She was lit by several streams of blue electricity which caused her hair and clothes to fan up. After a moment, the electricity traveled up the rod on a path towards the immobilized cyborg.

(I see…)

Orange flames erupted from the side of Genos' end of the rod. A small orange explosion concealed his appearance. While the electricity was gathering around the schoolgirl, Genos wrapped his palm around a section of the rod and turned up his repulsor palm. Part part of the rod that was connected to Genos melted instantly but he was careful to target a section away from his abdomen. The rest inside of him simply returned to their previous state of individual dust particles.

(So those were dust particles she was using earlier. So she can manipulate magnetic forces even on that small of a level. And that sewer lid was electrically charged so at least one other sister has the same capabilities. Although the other four must be compensating with weapons due to being weaker. This further confirms that I cannot extend this battle.)

He fired a repulsor blast at the sister to his left. She managed to dodge with surprising timing but the tip of her gun was melted. Even though the one without the nightvision goggles seemed to be the most dangerous, he knew that going after her had the biggest risk due to his exposed wound. That and she could block his repulsor shots with her electricity shields which might accidentally send one into a car. Going for the other sister was one of the more optimal decisions.

He knew that the big sister wouldn't risk firing at her little sister.

(I'll just copy your tactic!)

Genos dashed across the ground at the disarmed sister and elbowed her in the stomach. The sister shrieked for a moment as she flew a few feet before rolling over the pavement to a halt. Some drops of blood sprinkled on Genos' face. The girl laid curled up and twitched in pain as she clenched her stomach.

Genos redirected his gaze to the sisters a few meters east of him. From behind separate cars a few feet away from each other, the fired barrage of bullets his way. The big sister lunged to the right to avoid what could have been accidentally friendly fire. Using his rocket palms, Genos swerved around the hail of bullets faster than the naked eye could detect. He skidded to a stop next to #10032.

Although swift, he lightly side kicked the sister in the stomach. With a loud thud, her light body was propelled several meters through the air as her limbs flailed helplessly like an airborne rag doll. She rolled a few more meters before hitting the side of an abandoned white car with another loud smack. Her body bounced off the car and landed on her stomach. She remained motionless.

#19090 gasped as she noticed she was within Genos' striking range. She hopped to the side and whipped her body to towards him. After kicking the sister, Genos saw Misaka a blue sparks heading towards him. He squatted down as a strong bolt of lightning shot above him and past the sister. The wind from the lightning made their hair flap.

More bullets fly towards Genos. He put his arms up to protect his face but not before a stray shot scratched his left cheek and several more bounce of his the stomach, putting holes in his sleeveless shirt. Interestingly enough, #19090 didn't seem to be aiming properly as she missed what should have been an easy target.

Mikoto was surprised that #19090 missed something right in front of her. It was like she was an generic thug in an action movie all of a sudden. She did a somersault to avoid being hit. Several yellow streaks whizzed past her. Misaka was too livid to notice but the bullets in spite being aimed in her direction seemed to be missing her entirely by a few inches as if she had an invisible umbrella with a magnetic charge opposite that of the metal of the bullets.

"Hey, watch-"

Misaka began to loudly protest but something large and heavy zoomed past her. If she were three inches to her right, she would have been pulverized. Her hair flapped several times as she stared straight ahead in awe.

"...it."

The sound of an engine roaring can be heard. Misaka smelt a tint of smoke as the mass whisked past her.

A gray car with a damaged hood sped towards Genos and #19090.

#13577 stared blankly with an open mouth smile as she planted her foot firmly on the dash pedal. The four ton gray car accelerated at top speed of 300 kmph.

#10032 rolled over on her stomach and shot the hood of the car. Several holes were punched into it. The roof of the hood flew off in an orange explosion. At the same time, #19090 jumped over an abandoned car and continued to shoot around Genos', who deflects every bullet by quickly moving his wrists, fists, and forearms.

#13577 opened the driver door and jumped out of the car. When it was no more than 40 cm away from him, Genos finally registered the car engine. He had more than enough time to jump out of the way. He moved to do a backflip but instead bent his torso backwards, which gave him a flipped view of the speeding car heading directly towards him.

He pieced together the sisters' strategy the formed in a nanosecond.

#10032 feigned being unconscious to force attention away from herself. While #19090 distracted her with a barrage of gunfire, #13577 had already started the car and drove it with the intent of crashing into him. The gunfire served a triple purpose by distracting him visually and audibly, masking the sound of the car engine, and warning Misaka to get out of the way without making the plan too obvious. #13577 did not seem to have full control of her actions but that made her the perfect person to sneak back to the car since she was not perceived as a threat.

The icing on the cake was magnetizing his feet to the ground. That could have easily been done by any of the sisters but #10032 and #19090 were prime suspects. There was a possibility of a combined effort since they were comparably weaker to the big sister to the point where they need to be armed. Any one of them might not have been able to muster up the power to power to stabilize him. Or it could have been only one of them if the big sister is more powerful then she let on which would also mean the sisters could also mean the sisters were more capable. He did not have the time to contemplate the possibilities.

They must have deduced that his attacks were limited because he did not want to risk an explosion going out of control. That and in spite of his threatening words, he did not wish to cause serious harm to the girls. With the strength and speed he has shown, he had more than enough opportunities to completely kill the girls if he felt like it. In fact, he simply could have incinerated the car from a distance or threw it somewhere barren without even bothering to talk. The fact is he wanted to discover the motive behind their actions and he needed them alive and nonthreatening to do that.

Them being after Saitama meant they might know something about Abicus as well.

All he was doing was being a good hero and a friend. He had long past the days where he was a ruthless murderer for his own cause.

The gray car effortlessly carried Genos' body a few meters into the side of a blue car. They bounced off each other which caused the gray car to turn 180 degrees. There was a loud, metallic sound. The windows shattered inaudibly. The cars slid for a for a few meters. A person shaped dent was left in the passenger door of the attacked car.

Genos could have used the kinetic energy generated by the car as a means of propelling himself into the air but the car was charged with a magnetic pull. His head felt like it was being slowly cleaved in two by one of those super heated knives that were popular on YouTube.

He assessed the situation as he remained sandwiched between the two vehicles.

(...I can no longer move. My palms are facing the car so I cannot even defend myself. Even if I wanted to, using my Incinerator would burn through the engine, causing a massive explosion. I have no choice but to comply with their demands. But I mustn't give up. Damage is minimal. I must bide my time until I can…)

The sound of approaching footsteps drew Genos' attention. #10039 slowly shuffled towards the scene of destruction while gripping her stomach and hunching her back. Sweat permeated her brow and cheeks and she looked like she was trying not to vomit.

She stopped about three meters away from the car. She made eye contact with the immobilized cyborg. He felt a heavy tension in her gaze. He was all too familiar with the feeling of killer intent.

From afar, Misaka saw something she had not seen before. It was the furrowed scowl of anger stemming from intense hatred. Even though she was familiar with her own face, seeing the normally stoic sister with such passion in her eyes felt unnatural to her. She took a step forward but her sister raised her hand on cue and stopped her in her tracks.

After a brief pause, #10039 reached into the inside of her vest and pulled out a magazine which she placed between her teeth. She then pulled out a silver CZ-75 pistol and placed the magazine inside the chamber with her mouth.

She aimed the pistol at Genos, who was rightfully nonplused.

(...That was unbecoming of a young lady.)

There was a pause of about 3 seconds. If she wanted to threaten him, delaying it would not gain any advantage. And surely at that point it was painfully apparent that bullets had no effect on him. So what had the clone planned to do with that handgun?

"Hasta la vista, bastard," said #10039 in a low voice.

Sorry. I lied. Genos only deduced part of the sisters' plan.

Mikoto shouted "No, doooooon't!" as she ran but her cry was inaudible to her clone.

The enraged sister lowered her hand and pulled the trigger which sent a bullet about 10 cm beneath Genos' crotch.

"Oh shi-"

She was covered in screen of gray and orange, consumed by her own wrath.


	32. Chapter 4 Part 3

? ? ?

Sweaty palms, flushed cheeks, heavy breathing. Running. Anybody who knew of his prowess would never use those words to describe Accelerator. And yet, Academy City's strongest Level 5 Esper was actually fleeing from something. To regulars of the city, that would have sounded like some bad joke that should never be uttered.

He ran through a switchyard with all his might. He hadn't realized how much time had passed since he started his flight but it was already dark. He looked back for a moment before his already tiny pupils shrunk in size. He jumped around the corner of a shipping container and activated his ability for the first time in hours. He kicked off his foot dashed down across the container as the side of it was devastated by a strong gust of wind.

He looked back again for a second before redirecting his gaze ahead. As he sped, the end of the container seemed to get farther and farther.

At the end there was a figure with it back turned. It slowly turned around and revealed a faceless, spiky haired boy about the same height as Accelerator. Two glowing white circles slowly opened where his eyes should be. While raising his right hand, he increased in size until he was over thirty feet tall. He slammed his hand down on the ground. Accelerator skidded to a halt in front of the hand but was blown back by the impact.

He rolled across the ground for a few meters. Accelerator stared at the large tenager with contempt and dread.

"Stay back!" He shouted with a blood around his nose and mouth. "Stay away from you bastaaaaaaaaard!"

He sense a terrifying pressure from behind him. Normally, when an organism is faced with a threat, their heart rate increases because of a chemical called adrenaline. It is secreted throughout the body in preparation to combat the threat or flee from it, coined the fight-or-flight response.

Academy City's #1 could count on one hand how many times he experienced that feeling. But never before has he felt this sense of urgency, of futility.

Of fear.

Death.

The pale young man turned around. A massive red fist was heading his way. He put his hands up and pushes back against it. The world around him seemed to disintegrate. The sound of wind being cut caught his attention as a massive right hand headed towards him. He brought up his other hand to stop it but his arm was snapped in the process.

He sweated profusely as the massive fists slowly closed in on him. He could only hear himself scream for a moment before he was crushed to bits.

Accelerator quickly sat up and gasped. He looked around to find that he was in a familiar looking hospital room. He looked out of the window on his left to capture a bird's eye view of Academy City. His view focused on the city for a few seconds before he sucked his teeth and hunches forward as he clenched his fists.

"Ah, so you're awake."

Accelerator turned to his right to see Heaven Canceller, also known as the Frog Faced Doctor, holding a clipboard in his right hand. Accelerator leaned back into his pillow.

"Well, aren't you captain obvious," he said with unneeded derision.

He then quickly touched the electrode choker on his neck. He realizes he never turned it off before blacking. The fact that it turned on indicated that somebody, probably that froggy bastard, turned it off beforehand. He switched it back off as there was no further reason to keep it on.

"Perhaps you would like to discuss this little incident that landed you here in the first place?"

"Tch. Fuck off."

Accelerator pulled a cell phone out his back pocket goes to his contacts. After pressing the call button, he put the phone up to his ear.

"Yoshikawa."

"Ah, hello Accelerator."

"How is Last Order?"

"She hasn't spoken since she got in the car. Something like that, especially at her developmental stage, is pretty hard to recover from. Oh, and really? A garbage bag?"

"It was better than nothing. What is she doing now?"

"Sitting in the back seat of the car looking down. Would you like to talk to her?"

"Back seat? What the hell?"

"Yeah, we've been stuck in this nasty traffic jam for a while now."

"Tsk. Don't forget to get Last Order some new… equipment."

"Heh. That almost sounds like doting."

"Whatever."

*Beep!*

Accelerator pressed the hang up button on the phone. He noticed the time. 1:23 PM. He closed his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He sat on the hospital bed with a slightly hunched posture. The Frog Faced Doctor stared at him with a neutral expression that reminded him of the caped bald man responsible for placing him in the hospital in the first place. Reminding himself of his humiliating defeat, he turned his head to the side as if to purposely ignore the man's presence.

"Accelerator."

The city's most powerful level 5 esper gritted his teeths and slightly squinted his after hearing his name.

"Well, I can't help you if you won't allow me to. I'm a very busy man and if you're not going to respect my time then I see no reason to place the burden of me being in your presence. You should be fine. You haven't suffered any injuries at all, unsurprisingly, and your oxygen levels are normal. You can leave any time. Although I do advise that you to avoid whatever got you here in the first place."

Afterwards, the frog faced doctor turned around and left the room. Accelerator was now faced with the melancholy of his own thoughts. For example, the fact that there was somebody in Academy City that even he couldn't even hurt. No matter how hard he tried to wrap his head around it, he was still in shock that someone administered the same feeling of powerlessness and even dread that he has delivered to far too many people in his short span of life.

(Heh. Maybe this is just some cosmic form of poetic justice.)

He entertained the thought that maybe that defeat was part of the process of atoning for the sins he has committed against humanity.

After thinking about it for a moment, the skinny, pale boy scoffed.

(Yeah right. Like the universe gives a shit about punishing a villain like me anyway.)

With that, Accelerator grabbed the cane on his right and placed his legs on the floor. He noticed a tray of snacks consisting of crackers, an oatmeal cookie and grape juice on his left but decided to leave it.

(I guess there really are monsters out there more terrifying than me.)

Accelerator left the hospital with a sadistic looking smile. His path to vengeance had not yet ended.


	33. Chapter 4 Part 4

1:26 PM

Mikoto was thrown back several meters by the impact of the explosion. There was a chain reaction of explosions because of the numerous cars present. Misaka heard a ringing After a moment, she stood up and observed the intersection as it was bathed in a meadow of dancing fire which spread to the sidewalks and adjacent buildings.

"No..." she whispered to herself. Misaka walked a few inches before dropping to her knees. Then she fell to her palms. She tried to squeezing the street but her average hands futilely shook as they failed to gain a proper grip. "No… why did it have to end like this?"

In her melancholy, she thought of that spiky haired boy and how what he fought for that night. Had his sacrifice and pain been all for nought? In that moment, she felt like she failed that boy, her sisters, and of course herself. And yet, she wondered if his presence here would have changed anything. For whatever misfortune that has been bestowed upon him, he seemed to bring prosperity to those around him.

No. She did not wish for him to be here to solve her problems for her. Not this time.

Tears far too small to matter to the behemoth hellfire trinkled next to her palms.

"Where the hell are you…?"

She just wanted someone to make sense out of this madness. That boy wished for a world where everyone could have a happy ending. And since that night, he showed her that childish ideal was a possibility. But that possibility was torn from her weak hands.

"Over here says Misaka with no sense of dread in her voice."

Misaka's head swung up.

A few feet in front her left was #10032 partially charged curled up on the street and away from the fire. She looked at her big sister with an indifferent expression. #10032 pointed and Misaka followed her finger to meet #13577 across the street as she stared blankly at the sky and drooled. Mikoto was unsure whether or not she was conscious but smiled and sighed in relief that at least two of her sisters mae it out okay but was troubled by the uncertain condition of the remaining two.

"But we appear to be unable to battle any further."

She redirected her gaze to the behemoth hellfire before her.

Her smile was flipped upside down as she spotted a man shaped silhouette slowly emerging from the fire. She did not know if it was the fear making her hallucinate but his eyes glow a piercing red as he approached.

"Your third mistake…"

She stared dumbfounded for a few seconds before gasping as if she has woken up from a nightmare. She quickly stood up and hastily dug into her pocket inside pocket. She clenched a game token between her index finger and thumb and shakily pointed it forward. The silhouette dashed forward with his arms shaking behind him.

Before she could properly aim, Mikoto gagged as a steaming hot metal hand wrapped around her throat.

"... was challenging me."

She couldn't even scream the express the sizzling pain. Her limbs dangled helplessly above the ground. She tried to tug on his forearm out of reflex but quickly retracted her hands as soon as she felt the hot metal. She could not decipher whether it was his powerful grip or the heat from his arm was more excruciating.

With one tear stained eye open, Mikoto looked at Genos' face. The "skin" of the right side of his face was completely peeled off, revealing a metal endoskeleton. More than half of his hair was burned off and still on fire. His shirt and pants are also singed to crumbs revealing more of his robotic body.

Mikoto was taken back to a popular American action movie where a human like robot removed the skin on his forearm , revealing a thin metal endoskeleton. However, the situation was more akin to a horror movie where the antagonist was shown surviving at the end, indicating a sequel hook.

Mikoto feared that she and her sisters would no longer have any sequels.

"I did not wish for things to get to this point," Genos spoke. "But now I truly know how dangerous you ladies are. I don't know what you wanted with my sensei but I am guessing it cannot be any good. I tried to show you mercy but you leave me with no alternatives."

The palm grasping Mikoto's neck slowly glew orange. Mikoto's face paled a bit she spit. Her chest filled with pain as the air escaped her lungs through her mouth. She felt a numbness spreading through her torso. In spite of all that, Misaka struggled to slowly raise her arms.

"It is a shame that the youth these days can no longer find more productive way to contribute to society. But anybody who attempts to harm my sensei cannot be allowed to live. To make this painless, I will blow your neck out. Quick and efficient. Do you have any final message to rely to your relatives and loved ones?"

Mikoto weakly grasped Genos' forearm. Steam rises from underneath the burning flesh of her palms.

"Yessss…" she weakly said positioning her head to look the demonic cyborg in the eyes.

Without saying anything Mikoto sent a surge of electricity up Genos' arm. His jaw dropped slightly as he loosened his grip, allowing Mikoto to fall to the ground. She landed on her feet but immediately fell to her side. She sucked in all of the she could and waved her rapidly hands.

Genos stepped back as his arms spasmed. Finally, sparks shot out of his ears. He fell to his knees with his head slightly arched up. He looked like a child intensely focused on TV show while sitting too close to the screen.

Mikoto looked at the stationary Genos for a few seconds. Then, she gets up and sluggishly walked to the coin she dropped. She walked back right in front of him. With the coin squeezed tightly between her index finger and thumb, she slowly aimed a shaking hand a centimeter in front of Genos' temple.

Genos was part robot. An electromagnetic pulse halts all electronic activity within its range. The outcome did not need to be stated.

"Any...last words…*pant*...b-bitch?"

It wasn't her intention to sound cool. Misaka was under the assumption that Genos was unable to hear at the moment. She only said that to relieve herself of stress. She was slowly gathering her energy up as she talked.

Misaka's master of electrokinesis allowed her to sense electrons within a vast she concentrates on an electrical appliance, she can manipulate it. By focusing specifically on Genos, she recognized his exact electron count. Knowing that, all she had to do to render him inert was create an EMP strong enough to shut him down. Although doing so sapped her of a lot of energy.

(I can't believe a weapon like this was actually developed here. Academy City was made for students to develop their esper abilities… But I guess some creep is always running some sort of crazy experiment that exploits its residents.)

A shiver ran up Mikoto's spine. She again thought back to the Level 6 Shift Project. She wondered what the higher ups within Academy City's chairmen had in mind for this young man. There were already a number of efficient, relatively speaking, guard robots and the only humanoid machinery used are the power suits operated by Anti-Skill personnel.

What benefits would have come from creating a weapon that appeared so human like?

Was it to gain the edge in case some war rang out? Or maybe he was made to be outsourced to the highest bidder? For all she knew, he was just one in a mass produced series waiting to be bought by anyone with the fattest wallet, inside or outside Academy City in exchange for a peace treaty or some resources. with the intent of making some sort of government seem more deadly during international affairs. Or maybe they were new guard robots developed for Anti-Skill usage.

Whatever the case, somebody sent it here on a student. It was possible that Misaka's actions as a freelance fighter have been observed unbeknownst to her. This would put everything she cares about in serious danger. At the same time, this would limit what she could do in case some Eldritch Abomination or some spiteful, angsty esper went on a rampage.

(...But if I were being watched, then whoever's been watching me must know that I'm some form of damage control that works outside of the boundaries of lawful restrictions. No to toot my horn but the city's a lot safer because I'm around. Taking me out wouldn't benefit anybody.)

Academy City had technology decades far ahead of the rest of the world so there was very little reason for them to suddenly implement or update their security system unless they perceived a higher threat in recent times. And it made very little sense to eliminate such a valuable asset.

Unless this was their way of saying that they no longer needed her.

Even though all the databases containing information on Misaka and her sisters were destroyed, there was the possibility that someone had the data somewhere exclusive to them.

(But it doesn't make sense to send an army of robots after an electromaster! Unless they had some sort of insulator that blocks electricity. This plan is way too sloppy. Or maybe they're just that overconfident? But that still doesn't add up!)

A horrible thought ran through the young Level 5's mind.

(If this really is a cyborg… then that means at some point he was just some normal kid.)

The notion that the Dark Side of Academy City used actual human brains to operate weaponized machinery presented itself. The happenstances of what lead to such a twisted scenario would numerous. Maybe it was part of some sick experiment to see how espers brains function in mechanical bodies to test the true limits of personal realities. Maybe it was a project where they abducted certain Level Os to test such a program or see if they could manifest their abilities in a more durable body.

Maybe he was just some kid who wanted more power.

She was very familiar with that motivation. The number 1 ranked esper's reason for willing taking part in Project Level 6 was to gain so much power that nobody would entertain the thought of standing up to him.

In spite of the utopian image that the government projected to the outside, it was still just another part of the world. A world dictated by the deepest depths of selfishness, hedonism, pride and personal gain to would justify any act of animosity no matter how inhumane and destructive.

Mikoto winced at the notion that the adults would unleash such a catastrophe on children. Tightly hugging herself, she looked down, defeated by the unforgiving, unrelenting, indiscriminate entity known as reality.

(This city really is shit.)

"I have nothing to say on my behalf."

Misaka's eyes shoot open. She quickly looked up at the the robot who carried an equal amount of sorrow in his words and eyes.

"I have failed my duty as a hero… and I have failed to protect my master. I am unable to fight...I cannot continue and I cannot stop you…" Suddenly his expression and tone turned gravely serious as he looked the victor in the eyes. "But before you end me, know this; the man you are after posses power far greater than anything you are capable of imagining. It took the five of you to even stop me but my sensei is far more powerful than I am. He could have easily defeated you and your sisters before you could process it. _You don't stand a ghost of a chance_.

"So go ahead. Finish me. But your path to vengeance will end in failure. If you are wise, you will quit while you still have the chance and your life."

Mikoto's heart dropped. The way he described Abicus made it seem like he was an unstoppable monster. Not even 10,000 of her could stand up to the last monster she faced.

But what kind of monster would waste their talents stealing ladies underwear?

Casting that thought aside, Misaka thought back to that spiky haired boy. Her anxiety was quelled as he showed her a simple truth that night he defeated Academy City's strongest in such a mundane fashion.

There are no monsters. Only men.

"H-how are you still talking?"

"I am a cyborg. Parts of my body are still organic, like my brain for instance. Your plan was cunning but an EMP wouldn't work the same way on bioelectricity."

Mikoto stared at the motionless body knelt before her. The animosity of this city truly no limits. She did not understand the reason why man and machine were combined to make such a terrible force of destruction. But that was the least of her worries.

She found herself in a state of self contempt in that she was about to murder someone in a fit of rage. She would not acknowledge it but that was truly how she felt even if she denied it to herself.

"W-well so what?! I'm not gonna show you any mercy even if you are a living person! You brutally attacked my sisters so don't expect any sympathy from me!"

"Actually, your sister attacked me first-"

"Shut up!"

Mikoto stomped her foot as she shouted. Her arm trembled before Genos' unflinching expression. In her eyes, that young man was no different than Abicus aside from his methods. However, Mikoto had no intention of killing Abicus over his thievery. The plan was to intimidate him and get back what was stolen from her sister. Now, however, she finds herself conflicted.

(What am I doing? Am I really going to kill someone just because they hurt someone I care about? This guy has a person who cares about him and I seriously thought about taking that away over blind fury. What gives me the right?)

Who dared betrothed themselves to the domain of dictating life and death? Who so called themselves worthy of ending all that one was and ever will be under the pretense of a personal wrong, however subjective it may be? Is it the same person that waves the flag of justice?

Mikoto was unsure about the condition of #s 10039 and 10032.

(In a way, we're alike. We've both got something precious to us that we're willing to put our lives on the line to protect.)

She closed her eyes and rubs her face with her free hand. Misaka sighed heavily.

"Why did you threaten us? Who is this sensei of yours?"

"My sensei is a man I have nothing but utmost respect and admiration for. Actually, I say that but am I not entirely sure how I can accurately describe it. He is...amazing. The most amazing man I have ever met and I am truly glad to be under his tutelage. I guess you could say I idolize him. And even though he can handle any threat that stands in his path, I will still stand by his side and fight with him no matter the personal cost. That is why when I picked up your radio signal and discovered that you were heading to his location as him, I could not stand by and do nothing.

"I do not know you personally but I assume you have the same sentiments for your sisters. Surely, you understand my feelings. And that is why I am perfectly fine with your decision to end my life right here and now. I have failed. But I know that I have lived a fulfilling life in spite of the tragedies that befell me. And I will die knowing that I fought for my beliefs to the bitter end. Even though there is still work left for me to do, I feel an odd sense of closure and content."

Genos closed his eyes and smirked or the first time since his arrival. He must have thought of something pleasant like his sensei or his family.

Mikoto felt a lump in her throat. She thought back to the time Accelerator brutally murdered one of her sisters in front of her, ripping off her leg with a sadistic smile before ending her life in ecstasy. That was the strength of his resolve to gain power. He mercilessly mowed down anybody who would stand in his path to achieve his goal.

(Can I really put him on the same level as that bastard?)

The fire in the street flickered as Mikoto stared at Genos armed with an attack to could effortlessly end his existence. Another explosion erupted but neither of them flinched.

(Maybe I'm just being selfish… but even so, isn't this the right kind of selfishness? Isn't it okay to want to protect those you care for no matter the cost? No… that isn't right. Looks like I'm too immature to do anything in this situation.)

If Mikoto didn't act on her urge to seek justice, then that would also make her pilgrimage to find Abicus pointless. After all, both him and Genos harmed her sisters in one way or another.

(...What would that guy do in this kind of situation?)

Mikoto thought about the philosophy displayed by Touma Kamijou during his interference with Project 6 Shift. She intended to fight Accelerator with the intent of dying, rationalizing that if she died while fighting him, the scientists behind the project would be forced to halt the experiment altogether due to an erroneous premise. Their research would be deemed inaccurate and defeat the purpose of the project altogether. She would be dead but her sisters wouldn't have to be slaughtered. Instead, after somehow discovering her plans, Touma confronted Misaka.

He told her that her actions were selfish among other things. After all, would her sisters want her to throw her life away for their sake as well?

It sounded like something out of a fairy tale but his justification for intervening was quite simple.

It was because he believed in a future where everyone could have a happy ending.

It was a reminder that this cruel and indifferent world still had room for simplistic ideals.

Mikoto made up her mind. However, she did not put her hand down. Not because she truly wanted to kill Genos. It was an interrogation tactic.

"How could someone as noble as you have such a massive pervert as a master?"

Genos stared blankly at Mikoto for a brief moment.

"My master is many things. Lazy. Childish. Bald. But he is not a pervert. Actually, I do not think I have ever seen him take an interest in sexual relations. I think he might have erectile dysfunction. Can you direct me to the nearest store that sells viagra for my sensei?"

"The hell should I know where they sell viagra?! But...wait. Your sensei _isn't_ a pervert?"

"Not that I know of. And I have been living with him for some time. There are no perverse magazines in his house and his browsing history is clean. Although he seems to take a liking to cabbage. Ah, my mistake. He has a jacket with a crude depiction of breasts but that is about as far as he has outwardly explained any sexual interests. Why do you ask?"

"I could have sworn this was the same guy who one of my sisters panti…"

Mikoto stopped herself and blushed heavily. She then waved her hands in front of her face defensively.

"Actually, you don't have to know what he stole. It's not that important!"

"Did you say panties?"

"Wah?! As a man, you shouldn't be casually talking about a young lady's undergarments!"

"Pardon me, but when did this thievery take place?"

(Have you no shame?!) Mikoto thought. (Oh wait… I guess he's still part of Anti-Skill. Telling him might have some advantages. But he should already know if that's the case.)

"Earlier today. I'd say about two hours ago."

"And what did this man look like?"

"According to my sisters, he was dressed like some dorky old, balding magician with a cape. Is this a test? Shouldn't you know what your own sensei looks like?"

"... Young lady. This might be hard to believe but I am part of an association of heroes called the Hero Association."

"Yeah right. No one who attacks innocent girls is a hero in my book."

"Do I need to remind you that you were riding in a stolen vehicle along with four armed girls who, once again, attacked me first?"

"... So you're a superhero, huh?"

"Yes. And I along with a few of my colleagues have been in pursuit of my sensei and this man. I have left them to trace your radio signal under the assumption that you were a threat to my sensei."

"Yeah, you see where assuming leads you?"

"Young lady, I think you should look up the word hypocrite in the dictionary."

"Yeah well, you hair is takey! _Was_ takey!"

"Also, I would like to point out that we are not from this dimension."

"...What did you say?"

"That we are not of this universe. And the person you described is actually a panty thief that has been at large for two weeks in my home dimension. In spite of his petty crimes, he has easily evaded several low ranking heroes. The Hero Association never took him seriously due to the nature of the crimes. But the reports of his methods from the C-ranked heroes indicated that he was actually an immensely powerful magician.

"I suspected he was holding back in order to only deal low ranked heroes. I pleaded with the chairmen at Hero Association to send higher ranked heroes or even me since his string of crimes took place in the area where my sensei and I resided in but they scoffed. They told me an S-rank shouldn't worry about such petty crimes. They simply criticized the C-ranks for being incapable of capturing him and would only agreed to send out higher ranked heroes if he proved too evasive for the C-ranks.

"But waiting that long would allow for an immense splurge of crimes. However, since I am contracted by the Hero Association, I am obliged to listen to their orders. But my sensei is a B-ranked hero so I informed him of this perverted magician. Since he has better things to do than deal with villains he deems too weak, he won't do work unless they seem threatening enough."

(Wow, this guy talks a lot…)

"I am sorry but I must go."

"Huh?"

"I apologize for this pointless fight but I am still a hero with responsibilities to attend to. If you would be so kind as to reverse the effects of this EMP so that I may perform my duties. Do not worry miss. It appears we share a common enemy. After I locate my sensei, I will ensure that Abicus is brought to justice."

"You think I'd let you get away with hurting my sisters?!"

"Actually, Misaka is fine bar a few minor injuries, says #19090 as she holds her aching arm."

Mikoto swung around to see her sisters lined up, slightly bruised and burned.

"Well...even so! You owe us a favor after beating us up!"

"Sorry, but I do not have the time. Maybe when this is all over I will-"

#10032 karate chopped Genos in the temple.

"Misaka will not forgive you for assaulting her unless you pay you reparations, says #10032 as she continues to punish the damaged robot man."

#10039 joined in.

"Do not think your handsomeness will excuse your from swift justice berates #10039 as she joins the fray."

#19090 walked over and did the same.

"The wrath of Misaka has been cast upon you. Bow before your new goddess says #19090 as she adds her power to the combined assault."

While hunching forward, #10356 walked over to Genos and stopped right in front of him. He looked at her for a moment before cocking her head back and placing it on the side of his head.

"Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh," she said with a lame grin and unfocused gaze.

Mikoto stared dazed at the farcical scene that played out before her. Genos looked at her with a frantic countenance.

"Make it stop," he pleaded.

As the assault continued, Mikoto placed her hand under her chin and straightened her posture, taking a smug pose.

"Welllllllll…"

#10032 turned her head slightly to refer to her big sister.

"Oh, and two of our sisters have reported that the unfortunate young man appears to be in the same location as the pervert, says #10032 as she chops the badly damaged man in the face without looking."

"...What did you say?"

"It appears that fate has cast a die that has placed him in a chaotic turn of events that has placed him as the centerpiece of our problems yet again, says #10039, very proud of her metaphorical prowess."

Mikoto felt a sinking feeling in her chest. Without noticing, she placed her hands on top of it as if she were having a heart attack. She wore distraught expression before squeezing her chest and switching into a concerned scowl.

"Dammit. Why is he always getting involved in dangerous situations?"

#19090 turned to Mikoto.

"You really should look up the word hypocrite, says #19090 as she points out-"

"Shut up!"


	34. Chapter 4 Part 5

1:32 PM

"That stupid Demon Cyborg," complained Tatsumaki as she soared through the sky with her arms folded.

Beneath her were Bang, Puri-Puri Prisoner, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, Atomic Samurai, Child Emperor and Mumen Rider outlined by a light green hue. Fubuki carried her fan club using her psychic powers as well.

"He could have at least called Saitama first before leaving," added Child Emperor as he held the 8-Cube in his hands. "But it's all the same. He said he remembered the path from the map we looked at anyway. And even if he gets lost, we can call him once we find Caped Baldy."

Fubuki flew over to Mumen Rider who was peddling despite being 4000 feet above the ground.

"Why are you doing that?" she asked.

"Not everyone gets to say they've peddled through the sky. Plus, it makes me feel like I have super powers."

"O-okay…"

"What a lame reason," Tatsumaki criticizes. "Why can't you behave like the other guys…"

As she finished her sentence, she noticed the other guys she was referring to have all taken poses similar to that of a western superhero flying with either one or two fists in front of them.

"...Good grief…"

"Ah," Child Emperor exclaimed. "It appears we're nearing our destination. Drop down in three meters."

"Race you down," Mumen-Rider joked.

"Idio-" Tatsumaki began.

"You're on," said Speed-o'-Sound Sonic.

"Bring it," agreed Atomic Samurai with a confident smirk.

"Loser gets a big ol' bear hug from behind," jubilantly said Puri-Puri Prisoner.

"Try hugging the back side of my jet-pack," said Child Emperor. "...actually, don't."

"Eat my dust whippersnappers," said Bang.

"You're in the sky," said Fubuki.

"...Eat my sky dust whippersnappers."

"You know, I can just drop you all and see who falls the fastest," said Tatsumaki in a casual tone.

The ambulance van seemed almost out of place among the numerous military grade vans scattered in front of the crowded alley. The premise was comprised of various people from Judgement and Anti-Skill. To a foreigner, the presence of children and teenagers would have appeared off. In fact, the alley looked more like a school dance than a crime scene. This wasn't helped by the various amounts of casual conversations that were going on.

Among the people standing out were five identical looking middle school girls, a damaged cyborg and a bald man in a cape.

An Anti-Skill agent attempts to talk to one of the quatopletes who was adjusting machine gun as she sat against a wall.

"Uh...you can't have that," he said.

"You will respect Misaka's amendment right to bear firearms, says Misaka as she holds her weapon closer to her like a mother bear protective of her cub."

The Anti-Skill officer groaned.

The heroes from Z-City landed in an open space near the hospital van. Several students and Anti-Skill members redirected their attention to them as they walked to Saitama and Genos, the latter who appeared to be bowing down rapidly.

"Genos, come on dude." Saitama said. "You can't go around attacking little girls like that. It's not cool. And very unheroic."

"I am sorry sensei. But these girls were armed and heading to your location so I assumed they were after your life. I will accept any punishment you will give me."

"Okay, knock it off."

"Yes sensei."

Genos proceeded to punch off his left arm.

Saitama turned around after he heard a few footsteps and smiled at the sight of a few more familiar faces.

"Oh. Hey guys. So you finally made it."

Child Emperor opened his mouth to speak but Tatsumaki carelessly pushed past him as she floated over in front of Saitama. She looked him in the eyes with an impatient expression.

"Yeah, thanks for making us come all the way out here to get your sorry bald ass."

Saitama stared at her with a blank expression. He moved his head to refer to the group.

"Who's idea was it to bring the brat?"

The rest of the heroes walk over to him. Tatsumaki started to complained but Saitama phased her out. Bang spoke over her.

"We all came because we were concerned of your disappearance. Not one of us is here against our will."

Tatsumaki turned to Bang.

"D-don't make it sound so mushy!"

"Aw, shucks. That's actually pretty thoughtful of you guys."

Puri-Puri Prisoner raised his right hand.

"I only came to catch a glimpse of your ass. Honestly."

"Ah. Well it's a sweet ass so I can totally see where you're coming from."

"Sensei," Genos cut it with a grave tone as he reattached his arm. "Have you apprehended Abicus?"

"Oh...about that...See, this city has its own protocols for dealing with super powered bad guys. I tried to explain to them that I was a hero from another dimension but then they told me to get my bald head examined. Then I tried leaving with Abicus by force but some pig tailed girl teleported him back to the ground mid jump. And I can't just punch them out. That'd be kind of rude. And unheroic. And half of these people are children anyway. Luckily, Genos showed up and said you guys would explain the rest."

"Well," Child Emperor snidely said. "I'm sure when I explain the properties of my 8-Cube to them, they'll have no choice but to believe us."

Using his spider like mechanical legs, Child Emperor walked over to a small gathering of Anti-Skill members.

"Gentlemen, I am Child Emperor and this is my genius."

One of the Anti-Skill members put on a concerned face.

"You better keep your pants on. That last kid that said to me mooned me and ran away."

Tatsumaki, Fubuki, and Bang were with Child Emperor as assurance.

"...and that's how I deduced the necessary energy requirements for interdimensional travel," Child Emperor proudly said to the exhausted officers.

"You know," a man began. "You could have just _shown_ us how it works."

"If I could, I would done that from the start. It needs to charge for a few hours. You should have known that because I was explaining it."

"...Cheeky little fuck."

"Look," Tatsumaki impatiently cut it. "We don't have time to argue." She pointed at Abicus who had a flashlight shined in his eye. "That man is a criminal wanted by the Hero Association. That makes him _our_ responsibility."

"No," another Anti-Skill officer cut it. "That makes him _our_ responsibility. He committed a crime here in Academy City. It'd be different if you were from another country but you're all clearly Japanese."

"Uh, Iwata," said a woman in her early 20s holding a smart phone. "I did a background check earlier when that scary looking robot man said they were from something called the Hero Association."

"Yeah, it's a total bull, right Asuna? Just a couple of over enthusiastic manga fans who think they can be vigilantes just because they've got abilities. Look, if you guys want to join law enforcement, then you should have joined Judgement. You'd fit right in with the other kids."

"I'm 28," Tatsumaki said.

Iwata blinked at her a moment. Then he turned his attention to Child Emperor.

"You'd fit right in with the other kids."

"Um, sir," Asuna continued. "I thoroughly searched the Internet. There's no such thing as a Hero Association. At least online. There's no website or new reports or even forum posts."

"They could be an underground group like Skill-Out except they're espers."

"And I've asked a young girl to Judgement perform a thorough search on them based off their they let me take. There's no proof of any of them ever being in the esper curriculum."

"Nothing a good hack job can't fix."

"Sir, they say their from Japan yet there's no proof that they even exist. And given that they have abilities, they could have only lived in Academy City."

"Plus," Child Emperor added. "We're famous. So there's no way we could be from this Japan if nobody knew about us."

"Okay, I don't know what you people are on about but..."

Tatsumaki flew into the officer's face. He leaned back disconcerted.

"Excuse me?! 'You people?!' What the hell's that supposed to mean?! What, do we look sketchy to you or something?!"

"That lady over there has a bunch of armed people in suits surrounding her and she's not a politician or celebrity so yeah. You're sketchier than the rough of a Da Vinci design."

"...! Why you…! Who the hell do you think you're talking down to?! I should just flip this entire goddamn block upside down and just take him away from you incompetent morons! "

"Tatsumaki… please stop talking," Bang said with a sigh.

"Yeah, you sassy brat. The grown ups are talki- HURK?!"

The young officer known as Iwata was wrapped in a light green hue as his throat seemed to be crushed. Asuna gasped and backed up.

"You stop talking too…"

Mumen Rider chained his bike to a parking meter as a few Judgement members gossiped.

"What do you think his ability is?" a young lady asked.

"I don't know. Superspeed?" her idiot male associate asked without giving much thought.

"Then why the hell would he have a bike?" said another male peer with short green hair.

"Well, why does that speedy hedgehog use a car in racing games?"

"Maybe that's his only means of getting around?"

"Sonic runs everywhere Yuki."

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic looked over for a second but decided whatever those teens were talking about wasn't worth his time.

"Excuse me, sir!" said Yuki waving at Mumen Rider. He was annoyed that people were talking about him so carelessly but he turned to them regardless. "Can you please come here?" He walked over without complaining.

"How may I be of service young lady?"

"What's your ability?"

"Uh, pardon me?"

"Oh, you know. Superpower as they probably call it in your universe."

"Dude," said the green haired man. "Don't tell me you just go around fightin' bad guys with not kindov powers."

"..."

"What?! Are you like, actually fucking crazy?!" asked the idiot.

"Yeah, seriously. Is that even legal?"

"Yeah! What if you run into some super strong dude or something?"

"Do you at least have gadgets Or a sidekick?"

"No, sorry. Aha, I've got none of those."

The Judgment officers were startled at that remark.

"But that's okay. What I've pledged to is much greater than any of those things. I became a hero because I believe in a world with everlasting justice for all. That peace and community and smiles are something worth protecting."

"Bro, tell me you know a martial art or pressure points or something."

"I guess learning that before becoming a hero would have been the smart thing to do. But that's okay. It's not about winning and losing. What I can do doesn't change what needs to be done. I can't wait for the day I think I'll be prepared. Truth is, I don't think anybody's really fully prepared for life's obstacles. That's why we get help. And give help in return."

There was a brief pause. The teenagers stared at him with concern and intrigue.

"...Well, I'm gonna go report to my colleagues. Bye."

Mumen Rider turned around to walk towards the group where Bang was restraining Tatsumaki while Iwata rubbed his neck.

"But what do you do?" the idiot asked.

Mumen Rider stopped walking. He looked back at the youth with a slight smile.

"I do what I can."

Puri-Puri Prisoner stood next to a few Anti-Skill members as they leaned against a van while periodically sipping coffee.

"Yoohoo~ Officers," he said in a melodic kind of way. "I've been a naughty boy. Why don't you come over here and cuff me? And don't forget to give me a full body cavity search. Who knows where I could be hiding dangerous weapons."

The male Anti-Skill members failed to keep their composure as they were being sexually objectified by a man twice their size who looked like he could simultaneously bench press the two of them.

"S-sexual harassment of an Anti-Skill member is a felony," one of the Anti-Skill members nervously said in a low voice.

"Oh~~~ Well then Aren't you gonna hit me with your batons? You can be as brutal as you like. I love a man in uniform."

The Anti-Skill members sighed in unison as sweat dropped down the side of their faces.

"Isn't that a prisoner's uniform? Aren't you supposed to be a hero?"

"Yeah, what's up with that? Is it just a gimmick like how they use in pro wrestling or did you really do some shit?"

"Why don't you find out?"

"Well yeah, that's why I aske-SWEET JESUS!"

...Why don't we see what the other heroes are up to, shall we?

Atomic Samurai flirted with a blushing Tessou Tsuzuri as they leaned against a wall.

"So are you eighteen?" he asked.

"S-sir, I have important matters to attend to," she shyly said looking at the ground.

"So yes?"

"S-somebody, please help…"

"Being coy will only make me pursue harder. And it's kind of doing it for me. Same with the glasses too. It's a super cute look on you."

"Stoooooooop, I'm on duty."

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic and Genos were at their wits end as they found themselves surrounded by a group of fawning Judgement girls.

"They're so pretty!"

"I wanna touch his hair!"

"The scars make him hotter!"

"I cope with my father issues by selling my body to older men!"

"D-dammit," Speed-o'-Sound Sonic said under his breath. "I'm a goddamn ninja. How is it that these amateurs were able to spot me while I masked my presence?"

"Teenage girls seem to have a very accurate radar in regards to men they find attractive it seems," says Genos, equally disturbed.

On the street at the one end of the alley, Mikoto Misaka stood outside of an open hospital van with her hands on her hips and a very angry expression. She has a bandaid on her left cheek.

(How do I always end up having a woman angry with me?) Touma Kamijou thought as he lays down in a hospital bed.

"You just couldn't pass up the chance, could you?"

Touma gulped.

"W-well, you see it's a funny story actually…"

"And shouldn't you be in school anyway?"

"...I don't think you're in any position to talk."

Mikoto shut her eyes as electricity flared around her body.

"Well, if you had stayed in school then you wouldn't have gotten hurt! And don't call me a hypocrite!"

Touma jumped back in his bed.

"Are you trying to send me to an early grave?! And since when did you hear me calling you a hypocrite?!"

After a few seconds, the electricity died down. Mikoto squeezed her nose with her index finger and thumb and sighed heavily.

"Why are you always doing this?" she said sadly.

"Huh?"

"Why are you always running around and trying to solve everyone's problems like some sort of damn superhero? Why do you keep putting yourself in these situations where you get beaten to a pulp? Is that how you get your kicks? Are you some sort of adrenaline junkie or masochist?"

"...Mikoto, you're reading too much into this."

"You got stabbed through the stomach!"

That shout was enough to draw the attention of a few Anti-Skill and Judgement members.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I meant you literally walked right into it as some sort of desperate and reckless battle plan! This is exactly what I mean…! Why do you…"

Mikoto's voice cracked.

(Why is this so hard to say?) she asked herself.

"Why do you do this to yourself? Do you just hate yourself? Are you unable to forgive yourself because of something you did in the past?"

Mikoto knew that last part was definitely not true given the personality of the boy before her but the words flew out regardless as she was desperate for answers.

"...Don't you have someone that cares about your well being enough that you don't want to disappoint them?"

Touma stared blankly at the sniffling third ranked level 5. Anybody else would have been baffled to receive such regard for such a powerful individual. Ranks were meaningless when it came to matters of the heart. Touma Kamijou believed that deep down, people were more than just the strength projected. That everyone had some form of humanity.

It was that humanity that lead to Abicus' hubris and downfall.

And it was that humanity that made tears flow from Mikoto Misaka's eyes.

"Well, for starters," he finally said after a brief rumination. "It's got nothing to do with my loved ones. I just can't stand by if someone needs help and I have the power to make a difference. It's not because of something boring like truth and justice or some grandiose sense of judgement. I just do it because it's the right thing to do...Or rather because that's how I feel. It's just the way I am. And I think you know that very well. Speaking of which, you can't really criticize me either since you're doing the exact same thing for your sisters right now. You of all people should understand how I feel better than anyone.

"I won't apologize for doing what I did but I am sorry for making you upset, Mikoto. I didn't mean to make you cry but I guess that's just the kind of luck I have. I hope you'll find it in your heart to forgive me, Zapper."

Touma smiled as he said that nickname. Mikoto's face turned bright pink.

(Dammiii~t. How am I supposed to stay angry at you when you say stupid sweet things like that? You jerkass!)

"Uhh, are you sick or something? Your face looks awfully red."

Mikoto's face then took on the shade of a bright tomato. After she looked away, she quickly rubbed under her nose with her right index finger.

"Uhh…*sniff* Yesh, actually. I had a cold thish morning *sniff, sniff* and it looks like it's coming back."

"...At least wipe your nose with your sleeve. That's very unlady like."

"Shut up!"

In spite of how she sounded, a slight smile formed on Mikoto's mouth.

#10032 arrived in a motorcycle, stopping to the left of Mikoto. In her hand was a plastic bag making a rectangular crevice at the bottom. She took out the rectangular object, a short sleeved white boys' school shirt, size medium, and places it in front of Mikoto.

"I bought the requested object according to your specifications, reports Misaka as she hands big sister the article of clothing she requested."

"What the hell is this? I asked for a black vest! 'Requested object' my ass, this is the exact opposite of what I asked for!"

"Yes, but the store that Misaka went to only had short sleeved shirts and Misaka rationalized it would be better than returning empty handed, explains Misaka to her seemingly dull and overly hormonal big sister."

"Then. Why. Didn't. You. Go. To. Another. Store?"

"...Misaka does not like your tone of voice. Do not tell me you want a spankin-"

"Just, give me that!"

Mikoto snatched the shirt out of her sister's hand. #10032 revved the motorbike's engine and drives to a different part of the street.

"Misaka is not getting paid enough to deal with this shit, complains Misaka as she drives away and is out of earshot."

"I heard that!"

"No you didn't."

"Grrr…"

Mikoto turned to face the confused Kamijou. She tooks the cased in shirt out of the bag and looked at it for a moment.

"Catch."

She single handedly tossed the shirt at Touma who leaned forward to grab it. He studied it for a second before returning the same confused look at Misaka.

"A school shirt?"

"You're gonna catch a cold if you run around with just one t-shirt on."

"Aw shucks, that's surprisingly nice."

"Excuse me? Surprisingly?"

(No comment.) Touma thought before he said something he may regretted and extend his stay at the hospital.

"But, you didn't have to do this...wait, I don't owe you anything, right? If that's the case, take it back."

Touma held the shirt in front of him but Mikoto turned around and walked away with her hands on her hips.

"Idiot," she said.

(I suppose I should thank her. She went out of her way to get this for me after all.)

"Thanks Zapper."

Mikoto stopped walking and turns her torso around revealing an annoyed expression. After staring back at him for a moment, she stuck her tongue out and pulls down on the skin under her left eye with her index finger.

"Neeeh~"

She then walked away with strides that lifted her legs all the way up like some sort of wind up British toy soldier. A sister turned around as she was approached.

"Big sister, that is an unflattering way to reveal your undershorts, says Misaka unsurprised at her sister's attention begging shenanigans."

(First she yells at me on the brink of tears and now she's winking and smiling?)

The unfortunate young man folded his arms and sighed.

"Girls are so confusing," he lamented out loud without realizing.

"Tell me about it."

Touma shifted his focus about a foot to the right and was greeted by the shiney cranium of Saitama.

"Wah! Don't do that! I could go into shock!"

"I doubt that. You seem like a tough kid."

"Yeah, a tough kid that's mortal."

"Right, right…So, ya mind explaining what exactly went on in that fight?"

"What do you mean? You saw. I punched him in the face and knocked him out."

"Come on kid. Don't be slow. You got stabbed in the stomach but then _broke_ the sword by touching it. And then you punched a guy I wasn't able to hurt at all. And to be fair, I'm pretty sure I'm literally billions of times stronger than you."

Touma squinted in irritation.

(Yeah right. Who the hell does this guy think he is?)

"My name isn't kid. It's Kamijou Touma. And I don't think I feel comfortable explaining anything to some bald western comic book fan who might also be some sort of pervert."

A large vein resembling a lightning bolt appeared on the left side of Saitama's head.

"Kid-"

"Touma _._ "

"... _Touma..._ for the last time. I am not a pervert. I'm a freaking superhero! Look at the damn cape!"

"Then prove it. Show me your 'super powers.'"

Saitama stared at the unbelieving Touma for about a second. He detested his use of air quotes.

"Fine!"

Saitama ran back a few steps. He crouched down and leapt so fast into the air it appeared that he disappeared before Touma's eyes. A radius of about half a meter was cracked. After a few seconds, Saitama descended towards the ground.

"See?"

Touma continued to fold his arms with a very unimpressed look on his face.

"What? I just showed you my super strength. You can't doubt me now."

"There are literally millions of different esper abilities that allow you to elevate yourself into the sky and replicate the effects of super strength. Offense Armor, the ability to manipulate nitrogen particles. Reflection, the ability to manipulate directional forces-"

"It's not freakin' Reflection! It's 100% pure super strength that I obtained from a very intense workout regimen! 100 push ups! 100 sit ups! 10 km running! Every single day! Then I ate a banana afterwards! I slept in the hot summer without the AC and slept during the harsh winter without a blanket to build the mental fortitude to handle such power! But most importantly, I didn't quit! I stayed on my schedule everyday for three years before obtaining unimaginable, incomprehensible, immeasurable strength! I even went bald because of the incredible amount of stress I went through! So don't freaking tell me I'm not a damn superhero!"

"What kind of lame ass origin story is that? I bet you spent like five minutes coming up with that one. The workout's not even that intense. You sound like some sort of public service character that's trying to teach kids the benefits of exercise. What sort of naive child do you think I am?"

Saitama grit his teeth and clenched his right fist.

"So is super strength your only 'superpower?'"

"Oh. Well, I guess super strength and durability and a little superspeed. Although I think that last one's still part of my super strength."

"I mean, you'd still be moving at speeds well beyond normal human capabilities so it's still superspeed."

"Makes sense. But my main thing is punching things really hard."

"Seriously?"

"Like, super hard. I could easily shatter the biggest building here."

 **"** **You know, I'm willing to believe that but I just don't see the point in the get up. I think it's a little much. I don't mean to sound rude but dressing like that is just asking for trouble. Creeps everywhere are looking for reasons to gang up on someone."**

"For the last time _, I'm a superhero._ "

Touma looked at the shirt in his lap for a moment as if lost in thought.

"Things like heroes are unnecessary."

"Huh?"

"Sure, having some super amazing person solve all of the problems you can't sounds great but that's just a fantasy. Reality isn't so nice that it offers cheap solutions like that. But if there's someone in trouble and you have the power to help them, then shouldn't that be reason enough? Can't you save someone if you're standing right there, at that very spot?"

Saitama stared blankly at Touma as he continues to speak.

"I mean, sure. Everybody wants to be brave and strong or be blessed with some talent but not everyone's fortunate enough to get that blessing. That's just not the way things are. But is that even necessary? Having super strength, speed, wit. Do you really need those things in abundance to want to make a difference? Or to even make a difference period? Isn't it enough that you have the power to make a positive difference in someone's life even if you're scared?"

For the first time since they met, Saitama deeply contemplated what that boy had said. He looks to his right and scratched his cheek with his index finger, making sure to carefully phrase himself to express his philosophy.

"Well. Yeah. I guess you're right there. The power doesn't define the hero. Matter of fact, it's how you use it to the benefit of society that draws the line between hero and villain. Ever since I was a kid, I've always wanted to be a hero of justice. But...I guess you don't have to be brave like you said. Or courageous necessarily."

There was a brief pause.

"In fact, you could be totally emotionless but I guess as long as you get the job done, you know, saving people and shit, then that's all that really matters. You know, doing the right thing I guess sometimes there are greater things than any one person's emotions."

Saitama gaze at deep blue sky and saw clouds slowly moving through the air. He reminisced about the day he decided he wanted to be a hero, when he was just a little boy. And then he thought back to three year prior when he decided to quit job hunting to follow that dream. In that span of time, even if he's lived a life of mediocrity or normalcy, the passion to serve the greater good quietly grew in his heart. It started as an ember that spiraled into a great flame that could no longer be ignored.

When he thought about it, he saw a bit of himself in the young boy before him. In that he too would help those in need in spite of his weakness.

Saitama did not want to become a hero to be strong. He became strong because he wanted be a hero.

(Maybe that kind of drive in and of itself is another kind of strength.) Saitama thought as he squinted.

"You know, for some kid, you're pretty profound. Does this-"

"Oh wait," Touma said abruptly.

"What is it?"

He looked down on his lap with eyes opened wide and his pupils dilated.

"I totally forgot that you were from another dimension. I thought you were just a screwball in a onesie."

The wind blew during an awkward pause.

"Hey kid. Anyone ever tell you're kind of an asshole?"

Touma sighed and hung his head low.

"A fair amount, yes, but with fists rather than words."

"Well, don't beat yourself up over it so much. Just try maybe not being such a-"

"...Being such a what?"

After a few seconds, Touma looked up. Saitama seemed to longer be present. He scanned the perimeter. The alley and the surrounding area were completely devoid of people. Lonely cars and police tape were left in their wake.

"Oh no…" Touma said in an irritated manner. "Not this shit again."

"So, that's the kind of greeting I get, huh?"

On his left, a tall red haired figure wearing a black priest robe walked towards Touma. He balanced a cigarette between his lips as the smoke traveled past the barcode tattoo under his right eye.

"Good. That's the way it should be.."

"You know, this whole "We're allies but that doesn't meant we have to like each other" thing is a bit played out Stiyl. You're starting to come off as some sort of cliche anime rival."

The two meter tall magician placed the cigarette between his index and middle fingers. He took it out of his mouth, exhaled then sighed with his eyes closed.

"Save your childish insults for someone who cares. I believe you know why I'm here, correct?"

Touma's mouth hung open for a moment before dropping completely and letting out some sort of choking noise.

"Uh…"

"So I take it you don't have Oswald's Saws."

"UH…"

"*Sigh* This is why I smoke…"

"Y-yeah, w-well fighting off magicians isn't exactly the healthiest thing to do around, hence my current state."

"I don't recall asking how you felt."

Touma slightly gritted his teeth. A vein appeared under his right cheek. He then put on a smug smile and took on a patronizing tone.

"You know, you should be a little more thankful. This is like, what? The third time I've been stuck doing your job for you?"

"...Out of coincidence."

"Right, sure. But was it a coincidence that you didn't just use whatever spell or doohickey that allowed you to track the saws in the first place instead of just coming here to berate me?"

"I _did,_ for your information. I couldn't just waltz right in with all of these Anti-Skill and Judgement officers around. That'd be starting an unnecessary fight while possibly allowing the target to escape. So I did the smart thing and set up a people clearing field so that anyone unnecessary would leave the premise. But I only set it up from about a third of the entrance of the other side of the alley and around here. Nobody would be able to get close enough to see us.

"Abicus is now surrounded by more security than before. So unless Academy City's security forces are more incompetent than my initial suspicion, then we should be good until the end of this conversation."

"So how did you know I was here? Did Tsuchimikado tell you where I was?"

" I didn't ask. *Inhale*"

"Then how did you know where to find me?"

"I saw a hospital van. I assumed you'd be involved somehow. Now, I'm only here because using your Imagine Breaker would make it easier to destroy the saws. Once I execute Abicus, the rest will be left to you."

"Is it really necessary to kill him? "

"Stop asking stupid questions, we're short on time. I'll activate another people clearing field so that we'll be able to get him alone. Get off your lazy ass and follow me."

"For your information, I was stabbed in the stomach."

"Knowing you, you probably did it to yourself."

Touma raised his finger to argue but sighed and stopped himself.

He looked at the plastic bag on his lap. He took out the shirt from the plastic bag and ripped apart the plastic case. He hastily threw on the shirt and struggled to squeeze his head through the top without unbuttoning it. He whipped the covers on his lap off and, after he grabbed his side with his right hand and grunting, hopped off of the hospital bed leapt out of the hospital van, landing in front of Stiyl.

"Well, alright then," he smoothly said with a look of determination in his eyes. "I don't like how this has to end but I guess it can't be helped. Now, if you're done harassing me, we've got a bad guy to cat-"

An ear splitting noise cut through the air. The ground beneath them shook and threw them off balance. An enormous cloud of black raised from the end of the alley.


	35. Chapter 4 Part 6

1:45 PM

Abicus sat in the back seat of a police car with his hands in handcuffs behind his back. He scowled at the window on his right as the various law enforcement had casual conversations. He overheard a few Anti-Skill and Judgement members saying he would be taken to a Judgement facility and interrogated by members from both teams about his motives. He deduced that Judgement were the mass of minors that seemed to be bestowed with superpowers, dubbed abilities.

(It's not all that different from our universe. Except the whole child soldier thing which is like, what the fuck.)

A teenaged male Judgement member leaned on the front door looking disinterested while Kuroko Shirai lectured him.

"...And don't forget," she said sternly as she waved her finger. "It is integral that you don't look at him. Let me regurgitate: Do not look at the detained suspect."

The smooth brown haired boy picked his right ear with his pinky and stared off to his left appearing bored with the conversation.

"Yeah, yeah," he said casually before he turned around and reached into his pocket for a key. He put it in the key slot and twisted it. The door clicked as it unlocked.

"Don't say "Yeah, yeah," and then do the exact opposite, Suitahana!"

"Alright, alright already! Geez, you sound like my mom!"

Kuroko stared at Suitahana with a doting expression as he put the key in the ignition. In response, he sighed and slouched into his seat. After staring daggers, Kuroko teleported away and glomped a nearby Mikoto while she conversed with short woman or girl with curly green hair. Kuroko's scream and a dim, blue light shined on the side of Suitahana's face but he ignored it as the engine starts. He flashed his blinkers at the Anti-Skill vans behind him. In a few seconds, the engines of the vans revved up and honked their horns.

The car carrying Abicus slowly made its way down an empty street. Some Judgement and Anti-Skill members stared at it.

Suitahana looked at the road apathetically. Abicus stared at him through his reflection on the rearview mirror.

"So, quick question," Abicus said in a too friendly manner. "Why is there a police force made of teenagers and children?"

Suitahana sucked his teeth as if he was talking to a child who ignored his school lessons. He then responded as if he was reading off a script. That is to say a monotone voice.

"Judgement is the police force dedicated to keeping Academy City's out of control espers in line. Since the grand majority of the citizens living here are students, the Board of Directors or whoever decided to make students responsible for dealing with them."

"Okay, so then what's the point of having the SWAT team?"

Suitahana sighed heavily as he slightly furrowed his brow.

"Not everyone here has an esper ability. So Anti-Skill is responsible for handling those kinds of crimes. And before you ask, they basically babysit each other. We can't have corrupt espers running around nor can we have amoral adults. Plus, they higher ups don't want to advertise a city that more or less works like detention. So there's two different forces which also gives people outside the city the impression that the students living here have some vestige of control when, frankly speaking, we really don't. Additionally, they work together to solve problems that neither one team can't handle by themselves so it's a symbiotic relationship. Sort of."

"...But you have a military police force with highly advanced weaponry and bunch of kids with superpowers. What sort of problems can't you solve with only one team?"

"That really bad kinds. Like panty stealing magicians."

"Shit… Jobs like those sound like they pay a lot."

"They're volunteer work. But you get certain benefits and gifts so it's essentially like not having to pay for stuff."

"Bullshit! This kind of dangerous work can only be compensated for with a monetary payment!"

"...So it's essentially like not having to pay for stuff."

"What kind of payoff is that?!"

Out of annoyance, Suitahana looked at Abicus through the rearview mirror for a second before returning his gaze to the street.

"Geez, you really don't listen. No wonder you had all of those questions. Basic questions I should add. Are you even from Academy City?"

"You could say I'm a tourist of some sorts."

"Yeah, well, still. I'm sure wherever you're from, they have to have at least taught you about the world's most technologically advanced city even in elementary school. But I wouldn't be surprised if you were the type that dozed off in class. Or didn't read the newspaper. Or watch the news. Come to think of it, you seem pretty uninformed for a geezer. You're making old people everywhere look bad."

There was a knock on window next to the driver's seat. Suitahana shifted his eyes to his left. His eyes lit up upon processing the sight that was before him.

"You know," Abicus said as he hung upside down while his cape flapped in the wind. "You shouldn't stereotype. Generalizations are usually never right. Which ironically is a generalization too. Huh."

Suitahana looked at the rearview mirror above him and sees an empty back seat. His head then swings around for a moment before refocusing on the road.

(Impossible! I didn't even look at him! How did he…?!)

Suitahana gasped.

"Ah, I take it you figured out my little trick. Not that it'll do you any good now."

Abicus lifted his body and was taken out of Suitahan's sight. His heart raced and his forehead was drenched in sweat. With his left hand, he poked the inside of his ear.

"This is Suitahana to all members of Judgement! The captive has escaped custody and is on top of my van!"

As he spoke, a pair of handcuffs slid off the car's windshield. Suitahana's pupils dilated.

"I repeat! Suspect has escaped custody! We're a block down from the alley, right on Urameshi Street!"

"Dammit, Suitahana!" Kuroko yelled from her communicator. "You had one job!"

"But I didn't look at him like you said! At least not directly! What do I do?!"

"Uzumaki."

The car Suitahana was driving swirled several time. Everything in his sight appeared to be a mass of colorful lines. His mouth hung open as his eyes shifted across the interior of the car.

The last thing he saw was Abicus's sadistic smile as he tiped his top hat and fell backwards.

With a loud noise, his car landed on the engine of one of the Anti-Skill vehicles following him. A cloud of black and orange was visible from even six blocks away.


	36. Chapter 4 Part 7

1:49 PM

"Dammit!" Touma said before he gritted his teeth. "Come on, let's go before something worse happens!"

Touma ran ahead. Stiyl tossed his cigarette to the ground and stepped on while he followed him.

"That's my line," the tall magician bitterly said. 

"What the hell was that?!" Mikoto said as she swung her head in the direction of the loud noise.

"Misaka thinks it may be an explosion, Misaka says explaining her simple deduction."

"Rally up the sisters."

#10039 nodded and ran off looking for her machine gun that seemed to have been misplaced. Meanwhile Mikoto jogged over to Kuroko who shouted something into her rectangular device.

"Uiharu, Abicus has escaped custody! I need you to be on the lookout in case he escapes to an area out of our range."

"You can count on me!" Uiharu replied.

Kuroko put her device in her pocket. She felt a hand on left shoulder. She turned around to face Mikoto.

"I'm coming wi-"

"No." Kuroko coldly interrupts. "I keep telling you that citizens have no place in these kinds of battles. As a Judgement officer, I cannot allow you to partake in this fight, even if you are Academy City's 3rd ranked Level 5."

"Oh come on Kuroko! Now's not the time to argue about this..."

Mikoto's voice trailed off as Kuroko pointed with her head to the fleeting groups of Judgement and Anti-Skill officers. It was true, as a member of Judgement, it was Kuroko's responsibility to protect citizens of Academy City, including Mikoto Misaka.

However, things would be different if she just happened to be in the neighborhood.

Mikoto almost smiled when she caught on to Shirai's plan.

(Kuroko, you sly bitch!) she mentally noted while forcing a serious look on her face.

"And sissy, keep in mind that you are very sick. If anything were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself."

What that really meant was,

"We can't be seen going there together. Find another way to catch up."

Kuroko leaned in to kiss Mikoto but was blocked by a palm to the face.

"Just get out of here!" Mikoto yelled.

*FWISH!*

(I should try hacking their frequency again. Shouldn't be too difficult for Academy City's #1 electromaster.)

As she pulled her phone out, Mikoto turned around and ran off.

The heroes from Z-City turned their forward to the direction of the explosion. They didn't realize that they have been subconsciously been instructed to walk several meters away from the alley. This was to prevent them from noticing Touma and Stiyl sneaking into Abicus' car.

"It appears we are needed," said Bang.

"Looks like it," agreed Atomic Samurai as he scratched the back of his head.

"And here I thought this would be a simple retrieval mission," said Speed-o'-Sound Sonic with a creepy smile. "Now here's something that'll relieve my boredom."

"Probably some terrorist," said Tatsumaki.

Saitama looked around inquisitively.

"Does anybody else notice we're in an entirely different place than we were a few minutes ago?"

Mumen Rider nervously looked around. He slapped the sides of his head with his hands.

"My bike!" he screamed. Then he ran down the street.

"Yo know, literally any of us can get it for you faster than you can to conserve ti-" Fubuki yelled.

"Go without me! I'll catch up!"

"Well alright then."

"It appears you are correct sensei," Genos says. "But we don't have the time to worry about such trivial matters."

Several Anti-Skill officers and some Judgement members jumped into military grade vans and drove off.

A young man with short spiky orange hair, brown eyes and freckles walked up to the group.

"Uh," he nervously says as Judgment members and Anti-Skill officers darted past him. "This is a matter for Judgment and Anti-Skill members. I can't allow you to get involved in this."

"We don't recall needing your permission," Tatsumaki stated as her tiny body became lit in a light green hue. She flew above him and headed towards the location of the bomb. Fubuki as well as the Fubuki group glow blue and follow Tatsumaki.

Four mechanical legs grew from Child Emperor's backpack and he quickly strided away. Speed-o'-Sound Sonic dashed ahead at a blinding speed. Genos followed using his palms thrusters. Saitama, Bang, and Puri-Puri Prisoner holding a sobbing Atomic Samurai close to his chest leapt into the air and hopped on buildings.

The young man stood still with his finger pointing up and his mouth opened as if he wanted to say something.

"...Well okay then…I did my job." 

Accelerator walked down the suspiciously deserted street using his cane for support. Suddenly, an explosive noise reached his ears.

(What the hell?)

He stared at the protruding gray cloud about four blocks away to his left. To his surprise, a muscular man wearing a striped prison outfit is jumping along with some sort of robot, some guy with white hair and…

Accelerator's posture straightened as he noticed a certain caped bald man soaring through the sky.

A sadistic smile appeared across his face.

(Neat.) He thought as he pressed a button on the choker styled electrode on his neck. 

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic was the first to arrive to the scene of destruction, naturally. The debris of broken streetlights and vehicles along with a few limbs littered the streets. The atmosphere was soaked in pessimism. Speed-o'-Sound scoffed at the sight.

Suddenly, he heard a moan and quickly turned his head to the direction it came.

Suitahana weakly raised his bloodied left arm. The rest of his body pinned under a destroyed car.

"Is someone…is someone there…?"

Suitahana was not asking because he heard Speed-o'-Sound Sonic's footsteps. Most of his hearing was obliterated by the explosion he took head on. Nor was it because he saw him either. His eyes were burned by the flames of the explosion. Even though they were halfway closed, dark, ring like objects were visible.

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic ran over to the boy. He looked down with a stoic expression.

"...Is anyone... thereeeee?"

"You poor, poor creature..."

"Anyone…? Pleasssssse...help me…"

After a moment, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic knelt on a knee and lightly grabs the boy's charred hand. A weak smile slowly formed across his burned cheeks.

"Hellllp?"

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic unsheathed the dagger on his back with his free hand.

"...Yes."

Genos screeched to a halt as he sees Speed-o'-Sound Sonic staring at the ground.

"Speed-o'-Sound, we do not have time for sightseeing. We must-"

Upon closer inspection, a heavily damaged body laid face down next to his feet in a puddle of red liquid.

"Ah. Mercy kill."

"Yep. Better to end his suffering than to draw it out."

Genos scanned the body.

"But I'm not entirely sure if I made the right choi-"

"He's still alive."

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic turns to Genos with shrunken pupils.

"...What?"

He returns his gaze to Suitahana who appeared to be choking. Speed-o'-Sound Sonic sliced his throat but it appears he did not finish what he intended to.

"And according to my scanners, all he needed was some medical attention. This city has more than enough methods of preserving life at a state this close to death including cybernetic enhancements that, according to the teenaged police force Judgement, would have been provided to him for free due to his services."

There was a long pause between the two.

"...FUCK. Cyborg, lift this car up for me-"

"It's too late now. He will die within the minute. Even if you get him to a hospital, there wouldn't even be enough time for the doctors to set up their equipment."

Another pregnant pauses plagued the two. Speed-o'-Sound looked down with an indifferent expression but his disposition did not tell the full story.

"It' would have been different if he wasn't able to be saved. Hpmh, I guess there's no such thing as redemption for a villain like me. But whatever."

Genos walked over to Speed-o'-Sound Sonic and put a hand on his shoulder as Suitahana gagged. 

Saitama saw Genos and Speed-o'-Sound Sonic several feet below him as he soars through the air.

"Hey guys!" he shouts putting both hands next to his mouth to create a makeshift megaphone. "You can poke dead bodies later! We've got a bad guy to punch…"

Saitama goes out of sight as he leapt off a building.

"...now!"

Saitama heard a wail from Speed-o'-Sound Sonic.

"...What happened?"

"Sonic stepped on some sharp glass."

Seconds later, the group minus Mumen Rider arrived at an area littered with passed out Anti-Skill and Judgement members. Destroyed vans and armored suits laid scattered across the road as tiny flames brighten the scenery.

"Maybe now would be a good time to start mercy killing…" Speed-o'-Sound Sonic said to no one in particular.

"Stop," objected Genos immediately.

"Hey, look," Tatsumaki exclaims pointing forward. A brown haired girl with pigtails was frozen solid in a block of ice.

"Oh," Saitama said casually. "That's Teleporting Girl."

"What?"

"Yeah, this city seems to be full of superpowered children. I was actually attacked by one who threw a building at me."

"...I think I'd like to meet that one."

The group jogged over to the frozen girl who had her hands at her sides as if she was scared by something she saw in a horror movie.

"Poor thing," Puri-Puri Prisoner said as he rubbed his cheek.

Child Emperor scratched his chin as he stared at the frozen solid girl. He then touched a segment of the ice right under her breast with his mechanical claw leg.

"The _hell_. Are you doing?" Tatsumaki questioned.

"Locating the pressure locusts," he replied as he moved his claws on several other locating around the block of ice. "Bang, if you attack here, here, here, and here, using a mid tier strength attack, you should be able to free the girl without destroying the bod-"

Saitama knocked on the block of ice with the knuckles above his index and middle fingers. The ice was instantly shattered which released the girl from her icy prison. She fell to her knees and gasped.

"...Or that. That works too."

"Hey, Teleporting Girl," Saitama said. "Are you alright?"

She gasped a few more times and Saitama rubbed her upper back.

"Easy there."

"*Gasp* My… n-n-n-n-name i-i-i-is Kur-r-r-r-r-r-r-r-rooo-rooo-rooko… and you have to l-l-l-l-l-leave now… *Gasp*"

"Have no fear madam," Genos said. "We are heroes for justice here to help."

"Yeah," Saitama agreed. "We're the good guys."

The sound of an approaching motorcycle engine from behind caught everyone's attention. It stopped a few feet away from them and the driver threw off her helmet. Mikoto ran towards the group.

"Kuroko!" she shouted. She knelt besides Kuroko and hoisted her drooping body over her shoulder.

"Ah. Friend of yours?"

"Excuse me young lady," Bang begins but is interrupted by Tatsumaki.

"You can't be here. It's too dangerous for civilians."

Mikoto scowls at the unflinching Tatsumaki.

"I can take care of myself."

"She's right," Genos says. "She is an esper capable of discharging over 100,000 volts of electricity."

Tatsumaki stared at Mikoto for a moment before turning around and folding her arms.

"Hmph. She could fix her attitude."

Genos squinted at Tatsumaki.

"And so the pot calls the kettle black."

"We're wasting time," Speed-o'-Sound Sonic said. "I'm no hero but I'll kill anyone that makes me kill without my consent."

"...What?" Atomic Samurai beckoned.

"Please don't ask" Genos said.

"Sissy," Kuroko shouted "You all have to leave n-n-now!"

As if on cue, an enormous black sphere appeared on top of a large building several blocks away. The building as well as the ones adjacent crumble bit by bit as they were sucked into the void. 

Abicus observed the frozen Kuroko using a telescope from a distance above a high building several blocks away. He pulled the telescope away from his eye and it turned it into a wand. He waved his wand and the darts in his arms, left shoulder and thighs retracted in midair, before they fell to the ground. He sucked his teeth with a bitter look.

"Tsk. Stupid little girl tried to turn me into swiss cheese. Luckily, I had more tricks up my sleeve than she anticipated. Who'd have thought I would have ran into someone that actually specializes in teleportation?"

He dropped his left hand to his side and left it to dangle.

"The Hero Association was back there. They'll be here in a matter of seconds no doubt. I don't think I can fight all of them without going all out. Hell, I barely escaped the caped baldy…"

Abicus squeezed his left hand.

"Those stupid bags of ass. All I wanted to do was sniff stolen panties. Is that so wrong? Is it that hard to understand? Those stupid, fucking shit brained idiots. Thinking about it just makes me want to ARGRAHAFUBRARGH!"

Abicus closed his eyes for a moment.

"My bad habit's coming out again. In cases of extreme stress, I tend to act irrationally. But how else am I supposed to act when I'm stuck in a situation that I can't win rationally?"

He noticed the heroes arrived from up the street. He observed them as they studied the frozen Kuroko. In a few seconds, Saitama freed her.

"No...it's time to stop giving in to this feeling. This whole time, I've been repressing my darker half but I've been going about this entirely wrong."

Abicus waved his wand and tapped himself on the shoulder.

"Leviousa."

Abicus slowly levitated. His placed his wand inside his coat. He raised his arms above his head and two saws with rainbow patterned hilts slid out of his sleeves.

"If I can't steal panties in either of these dimensions, NO ONE CAAAANNNN! AHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Abicus continued his maniacal laughter as he rubbed the saw together. Friction formed a shower of orange sparks. A small black sphere appeared. It slowly increased in size. The building beneath it was torn into pieces as it sucked them in.


	37. Chapter 4 Part 8

2:07 PM

Academy City was at the world's leading city in technological development. It should be apparent that there were an abundance of counter measures formulated in case of natural disaster. Not every building could be saved but most of major ones doubled as safety bunkers. Floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, pretty much nothing mother Earth produced could defeat the denizens of Academy City's will to survive thanks to the best scientific minds in the world pooling their resources together and constructing the world's safest city.

Unfortunately, the same can't be said for supernatural disasters. Namely those that attack all matter regardless.

Cars, buildings, entire city blocks. Nothing was safe from the undiscriminating black hole's grasp. Cracks formed across sections of the street before they were torn apart and flung into the air.

Unsuspecting citizens screamed as their bodies were forcefully swept up. A woman held on to a stop sign holding her son. Her grip weakened thus her son slipped out of her hands, tears flowed from both of their eyes. The little boy turned to the indifferent black sphere. In spite of the healthy amount of exercise he got on a regular basis, his heartrate has never been that high.

He saw other people, students, teachers, etcetera. His youthful empathetic skills allowed him to easily read their feelings. He could tell they experienced the same sense of dread and fear as he did. Towards the center of the black hole, he could barely make out someone floating in a Cross like position. His black clothing camouflage him him almost perfectly.

He closed his eyes and covered his face, and thought one last time of the person who sacrificed everything to make him happy.

Interestingly enough, he felt a strong gust of wind pulling him but not the sensation of movement.

He opened his eyes and saw that the various people were glowing either bright green or blue. The surrounding buildings and even the street had taken on the same green hue. He frantically looked at his surroundings until he spotted a tiny woman with curly green hair engulfed in the same color as him down below. She had her arms extended as a taller black haired woman glowing light blue did the same.

The boy slowly descended onto the street.

"Mommy!" he shouted with his arms raised.

"Son!" she replied.

The young boy looked at his savior's face. She looked extremely angry, like someone took her favorite toy from her cuppy during nap time. This was further accentuated by her "resting bitchy face," meaning she must have been accustomed to looking angry. But the young boy's youthful empathetic skills allowed him to see through her facade.

He could tell she experienced the same sense of dread and fear as he did.

Behind Tatsumaki the heroes stayed in place, engulfed in a green light. Her tiny frame trembled as a long stream of sweat rolled past her cheek.

"This is ridiculous!" Atomic Samurai shouted.

"I know, right?!" Bang replied. "Who names their child son?! What is this, Journey to the West?!"

"Seriously?!" said Puri-Puri Prisoner.

"Guys!" Saitama shouted frantically. "Can someone tell me what the hell that thing is?!"

"A black hole!" said Child Emperor. "A gravitational field that sucks up matter!"

"The fuck is matter?!"

"Anything that has mass and occupies space!" said Genos

"Ohhhhhhhhhh."

…

"OH SHIT, THAT'S US!"

"Dammit," Tatsumaki shouted at the top of her lungs. "Can you all SHUT THE HELL UP!"

Tatsumaki screamed as she she lowered her shaking arms. Many citizens and buildings started to descend towards the ground. A crack shot up on a complex towards the right. More cracks shoot past Saitama's and Bang's legs.

"Uh, Twister Sister?" Saitama said. Tatsumaki gritted her teeth upon hearing that.

The black hole slowly seemed to be getting closer but that's not the case.

Genos looked down and noticed as his feet were sliding forward. He pressed his feet down to gain some friction. Child Emperor shot his mechanical legs into the concrete ground. Puri-Puri Prisoner leaned forward and digs his fingers into the street. Fubuki's followers huddled together. A fragment of a building flew at them from behind but it was stopped mid flight in a light green hue.

"Tatsumaki?!" Fubuki yelled.

"Shut up!"

Bang looked up towards the black hole.

"The pull of the black hole is sucking the street in."

A segment of shattered road and sidewalk as well as several dirty apartment buildings flew towards the black hole from the right. Their likeness seemed stretched as they are sucked inside. The citizens Tatsumaki and Fubuki were holding down began to slowly raise. Some of them try to grip onto the street or sidewalk.

"Sister," Fubuki shouted after straining. "I'm...I'm not strong enough to cover that wide of a field. I'm sorry!"

Multiple loud cracking sounds are heard as the pavement rises. The tops of some buildings are ripped off like paper.

"Sensei!" Genos Can't you do something?!"

"And destroy the street beneath us?! Yeah, no thanks!"

More chunks of street as well as the greeting blimp of Academy City head towards the black hole.

"Hey, Tatsumaki! What's the matter?! Covering this much space should be a piece of cake!"

"She's not just focusing on this area," Fubuki said as she slowly brought her arms down.

"Save your strength. I'll explain it," said Atomic Sword. "The psychic sisters are trying to keep this entire city and all of its inhabitants down. I don't know the full extent of Tatsumaki's powers but I know working against a black hole is a herculean task."

"But...this city is a third the size of Tokyo!" said Mikoto.

"But that's 7,853,333,333 feet of cement to cover!" said Child Emperor.

Esper powers require mental stamina. Fubuki handled most of the citizens and smaller buildings but only within the immediate vicinity since she wasn't as strong as Tatsumaki. Meaning little big sister had to fight against the pull of a black hole to prevent the rest of the city along with it's inhabitants from being sucked in.

"Dammit, won't you please SHUT UP!?" Tatsumaki shouted as her face turned red.

And all of that talking wasn't helping either. In spite of how powerful she was, she still had an entire city worth of people to save. But a black hole is powerful to absorb light. The talk of how big the city was put psychological pressure on the sisters and slowly drained their mental reserves.

The ground beneath them slowly began to rise.

"Pitiful," a calm voice said.

Amongst the destruction, the sound of a cane hitting the ground was heard. The sound got closer until it passed Tatsumaki and Fubuki.

"What the hell?" Tatsumaki said.

"Citizen, get back!" Fubuki yelled

"You?!" Mikoto yelled in both shock and disdain.

"Pipe down you brata. I'm just here to clean up the mess these sorry excuses for espers can't seem to handle. I don't have any beef with you but I can understand if you totally hate my guts. We'll settle things some other time. After I crush the caped baldy over there."

"Oh," Saitama said with a blank expression. "It's you. Uh...what was your name again? Eviscerator? Eliminator? *Snap* Obliterator. Decimator. Michael Jackson."

Academy City's #1 ranked Level 5 turned his head around wearing a very annoyed expression.

"Greeny. Cut your field by approximately 284,666,667 feet north west. Don't question why. Just do it. _Now._ "

Even though she detested being ordered around, especially by people who show up at the last second, she complied with the skinny, pale boy's demands.

"Now that you're out of my way I'll prevent the rest of Academy City from getting sucked into that black hole until I can get close enough to disrupt it."

"What?! That's impossible!" shouted Child Emperor. "What the hell are you planning on doing?!"

"Nothing you could possibly understand. Now, let the villain take center stage."

"Oh, right," Saitama said. "That kid said his ability was to control directional vectors or whatever. A lot of my punches didn't seem kill him so we should probably let him do his thing. Go get 'em Emasculator."

" _Accelerator,_ asshole."

(He remembered all that but forgot a simple name?) he thought after he clicking his teeth. With that, Accelerator speed walked forward.

"I don't know what he's got planned," Child Emperor said. "But he better make it quick! At the rate that the size of the black hole is increasing, we've only got about a minute and a half before it becomes big enough to suck us in regardless of the strength of his and Tatsumaki's powers!"

Everyone else present either gasped or grunted. Accelerator turned back around.

"Tch!"

He kicked off his left foot and dashed away. It may have appeared like he glided but the tip of his right shoe slid on the ground. His ability only worked with whatever he is in contact with. If he were to just glide, the rest of Academy City would be sucked into the black hole.

Accelerator traveled about 30 meters before he stopped. He noticed the street beneath him started to slowly rise.

(Goddammit, not now! Why now of all times?!)

The electrode styled choker on Accelerator's neck that allowed him to use his Reflection ran on a finite energy source. The battery was drained in his fight with Saitama earlier and to make matters worse, even though it was turned off by Heaven Canceller after he was taken to the hospital about twenty minutes later, it was never recharged. He told Tatsumaki to divert attention away from a certain section of the city but that along with segments of the area he stood crumbled.

(Fucking hell, that shitty doctor and Caped Baldy are gonna get us all killed! Wait. No. I can make this work! I just have to be faste-)

A black car flew past Accelerator. Out of his peripheral, he noticed something slip out of the passenger seat of the window. Something tiny. Someone. Someone crying who extended her hands towards Accelerator.

He noticed Yoshikawa reaching out to said girl and grabbed onto her while being sucked towards the black hole. She embraced her towards her chest like a relieved mother.

In his failure to protect that which was precious to him, Accelerator screamed out Last Order's name at the top of his lungs.

Several sections of the street, cars, buildings begin slowly ascended rise around Accelerator. After he saw that, Genos turns to Tatsumaki.

"Tatsumaki! Those citizens!"

"I can barely keep you guys from floating off. I can't focus on them from that range!"

"Can't anybody rescue those poor girls?" Puri-Puri Prisoner said.

Suddenly, he felt something round zoom up his spinal column.

"Unf! 3"

That something soared into the air and out of Tatsumaki's range before she noticed it. The heroes all gazed with open jaws, both terrified and amazed at the sight before them. Even Accelerator was caught off guard. After it rode the turbulence of the gravitational pull, the figure skidded off of cars and segments of broken street and sidewalk towards the girls being sucked away.

When he got close enough, the glorious figure hopped off of his bike.

"JUSTICE…"

Yoshikawa extended her left hand and it is grasped firmly by the hand of none other than...

"CATCH!"

C-Class, Rank #2.

Mumen. Fucking. Rider.

The three of them were sucked towards the ever expanding black hole. Mumen Rider looks frantically towards his right.

"Justice grab!"

He grabs the edge of a nearby building. The only thing that kept the building from being torn apart is Accelerator's vector manipulation. But Mumen Rider had no way of knowing that. He knew very well that he stood no chance against the might of a black hole.

He only did what he could.

"Misaka thanks you for your heroic deed! Misaka says as she is moments away from certain doom!"

"Y-yes!" Yoshikawa said. "Thank you!"

Mumen Rider looked back and gravely gasped.

"What is it?!"

"My biiiiiiiiike!" he shouted as his bike was sucked towards the black hole.

The heroes tried their very best to stop themselves from being sucked into the black hole. Nearly everything in front of Accelerator has been sucked away, evident by the massive crater that quickly increased in depth. Tatsumaki shouted as her gripped loosens on her peers. The block they are on began to rise.

"Fubuki! Take care of the people! I need all of my strength to keep the rest of the city from being sucked in for as long as possible!"

"Right!"

"Sensei! Can't you do something?!"

"And accidentally destroy our only foothold?! I can't risk it!"

The citizens and the heroes went from glowing light green to a light shade of blue. Fubuki's eyes took on the same color and her hair flared up.

"HARAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" the sisters screamed.

The heroes felt a stronger pressure on them. Tatsumaki could not maintain a very strong grip on the people since she also had the responsibility of covering 284,666,667 feet worth of land as well and buildings as well. However, Fubuki had less to cover and more strength at her disposal to focus on the citizens and the heroes. But she worked well beyond her normal range regardless.

"That's right girls!" Atomic Samurai shouted. "Keep at it!"

"They don't want us talking!" Saitama shouted.

"No!" Child Emperor replied. "Having people cheer you on can increase dopamine levels, making it easier for them to use their powers! This is especially true when your friends do it so for the love of all science, cheer them on!"

"That sounds cheesy enough to work! Come one psychic sisters, I know you're better than this!"

"Release your overflowing spirit!" shouted Bang.

"Show that black hole your sisterly love!" shouted Puri-Puri Prisoner.

"This is so lame but do your best!" said Child Emperor.

"I haven't talked in like five parts," said Speed-o'-Sound Sonic.

"Sisters, I will not lie," Genos begun. "But we did not get off to the greatest of starts. You both are very stuck up, self-centered, and condescending, although that last one applies more to Tatsumaki. You both even went so far as to insult my master and that is something I do not tolerate in the slightest. But as I have to spend more time with you, to know you better, I see the strengths that have made you such revered heroes. Tatsumaki with your immensely powerful psychic powers and your cold deliverance of justice make you one of the most feared heroes yet. And Fubuki, your excellent leadership skills and caring personality makes you not only one of the most admirable heroes but one of the most admirable people I have ever met. I guess what I am trying to say is that even when you don't show it, the two of you are amazing people. So with these words of encouragement, I, Genos, the cyborg who fights for justice alongside my sensei, another highly admirable person, encourage you, the Terrible Tornado, and you, the Blizzard of Hell, with words of encouragement that will encourage you to do your very best because of my encouragement-"

"GODDAMIT GENOS, JUST SAY "DO YOUR BEST" LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!" Saitama yelled.

Mikoto was about to speak but something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Something that made a hard lump form in her throat when she realized what it was. It was the sight of Touma Kamijou being sucked against the back of an electronic billboard. But what shocked her wasn't the fact that he was so high up and so close to danger.

It was that he was making his way _towards_ the danger.

While pushing off the back of the billboard with his left hand and dragging his body the right, he slowly made his way to its edge.

"No…" Mikoto said. Her worst fear has come into fruition. That boy doing something so incredibly dangerous that he would most surely die. There was weight in her chest and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING YOU IDIOOOOOOOOOOT?!"

"Hmm?" Saitama said as he looked at her. He followed her line of sight and noticed Touma as he nears the edge. "TAP DANCING CHRIST, FUBUKI UP THERE!"

"!"

Fubuki shifted her head to her right but it was too late. The boy who knew misfortune all too well neared the edge of the billboard.

Touma Kamijou soared through the air at an incredible speed towards the black hole.

"Oh no!" Genos yelled.

Puri-Puri Prisoner and Bang gasped.

"Somebody get that kid!" shouted Atomic Samurai.

"Oh my justice!" said Mumen Rider.

Accelerator saw Touma soar through the sky as he slowly walked up the side of a building. Yes, the same boy who ended his reign during Project Level 6 Shift was about to meet his end. Even though he felt a bit of spite, he also felt a pinch of regret. He realized there was nothing he could possibly do in order to save him without putting both Last Order and the rest of the city at risk and he wasn't about to do that.

(Tch. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do anything. Sucks to be you.)

"H-he…" Fubuki said while she nearly choked on her words. "He was too far and I didn't notice! I'm sorry!"

"No," Saitama cooly said. She felt a tap on her right shoulder. "It's alright." He walked for about a meter before stopping in front of the heroes. "Not to sound cool or anything but I don't know if I'll make it back. I mean, it's a black hole. So it's probably goodbye. But if you guys make it out alive then it'll be worth it. And it's been an honor and stuff. Working with you all I mean. So take care of yourselves and stuff...yeah."

"W-what?! No. N-no! I won't lose you either!"

"Sensei...?!" Genos said with a look of anguish.

 **"** **Saitama, what are you planning?" Bang said.**

"What the hell do you think you're doing you bald headed, brain dead, caped loser?!" Tatsumaki shouted as she showed more sadness then she wanted.

Saitama squatted down so low that his rear nearly touched the ground.

"Being a hero."

The ground where his feet were formed a pattern cracks that looked like abstract art. A strong gust of wind hit the group of heroes. Fubuki stumbled slightly but held her grip regardless. Everyone's hair flapped rapidly against the hard gust of wind.

Genos looked at the back of the man he held with so much regard that he would take give his life for. He stared at the man who he idolized, who he admired more than any other, as he left him behind for the sake of protecting him. Somebody who not only unmatched in strength, but unmatched in heart. He stared at the man he was truly proud to call an ally get further and further from him.

Cyborgs by definition are only half machine.

"SENNNNSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!"

With tear soaked eyes, he looked at his best friend and realized he would never see him again.

Saitama leaped over a tall building in a single bound. With a clenched fist held in front of him, he slowly approached the reckless teenage boy who ironically thought heroes were unnecessary.

"Kids these days."


	38. Chapter 4 Part 9

2:08 PM

"What the hell is that?!" Touma shouted as he and Stiyl ran down a deserted sidewalk. He of course was referring to the black hole sucking everything in.

"Dammit," Stiyl cursed. "We're too late! Abicus has already used Oswald's Saws again! Has the bastard gone mad?!"

Suddenly, Stiyl felt himself slide across the ground as his robes flapped. Touma looked down at his feet and saw the same thing happened to him. Before he could rationalize what happened, the two were violently jerked into the air at high speed. Their bodies slowly twirled as they flew over the street.

"Stiyl!" Touma shouted. After twirling few times, Stiyl shifted his body weight so that he moved closer to Kamijou. He strained his arm to grab his left hand. He turned his head back around and after waiting a few seconds grabbed a street light that looked like it would get picked off the ground at any second.

"And so the fangirls rejoiced," Stiyl snarkily said looking at noone in particular.

"Don't make it weird."

Suddenly, the two and the surrounding area were outlined in a green light.

"...What?" Touma whispered as he and Stiyl slowly descended towards the ground.

"It would appear someone's feeling generous."

"An esper maybe?"

"Who knows?"

Touma gawked at the undiscriminating black hole as it made dinner plans with the environment of Academy City. He thought back to what Tsuchimikado told him earlier regarding Oswald's Saws. They were capable of creating dimensional rifts using magic. The black hole was caused by using the saws too soon after its initial use. The portals themselves were made from magic so destroying them would be easy.

But before he acted, Touma first considered a few things.

The first is that he can't destroy the effects produced by magic. For example, if someone were to pick up and throw a dumpster using wind magic, the Imagine Breaker would be able to destroy the twister but not stop the dumpster. But was the black hole the result of magic or derived from magic itself? Additionally, his Imagine Breaker had limitations on what it could eliminate all at once. It could not completely destroy a continuous beam of magic and an expanding black hole may have qualified.

The second was that two versions of himself were killed in a similar incident. He considered the possibility that one or neither of the late Kamijous had Imagine Breaker since they were alternate versions of him, but the worse case scenario was that both of them did and both of them failed to destroy the black hole. Knowing himself, he deduced that he would at the very least attempt to stop it on the off chance that it was magic based. But the fact that they both died meant that they both tried and both failed. And Imagine Breaker only covered everything from the wrist up. This could also mean that either something prevented him from touching the black hole with his right hand, like being turned around at the last second by some debris, or that the black hole wasn't magic based.

Kamijou had no way of knowing which of those scenarios was correct nor did he have enough time to sort through all the possibilities. So he was only faced with one option.

(There's no way around this.)

"Stiyl, let got of me!"

"Are you lame in the head?!"

"Listen! That black hole was created using magic! My right hand destroys magic! Put two and two together!"

"You don't even know if it's magic or science based! You could be throwing your life away!"

"Don't act like you give a shit now of all times!"

Touma touched his body with his right arm which dispelled the effects of the psychokinesis. Stiyl increased his grip on Touma's arm as it quickly flew up and dangled in the air.

"She would never forgive me if you perished needlessly!"

"I don't give a fuck what Index thinks right now! Let me go or I'll punch you in the fucking face and you can join me in hell!"

"Tch!"

After he thought about it for a second, Stiyl entertained the possibility that Kamijou might be right.

(I couldn't call myself a member of Necessarius if I didn't commit to doing some dirty work now and then.)

With that fleeting thought, he lets go of Touma's had. He smiles as he is pulled further away from the red haired magician.

"If you die, I'll make sure you rot in hell!"

"Thank you!"

Stiyl watched the courageous or stupid young man get further and further away from him. He whispered something to himself when Touma's body faced forward just in case he read his lips.

"God speed, Kamijou."

Then Touma hit a garbage can head on and flipped and lost some altitude.

(...We're so screwed…)

Touma screamed as he twirled horizontally across the street at high speed. As his body straightened, it appears whoever was holding down Academy City lost a bit of her grip as various cars and city fragments flew past and alongside him. Touma kicked off a red sports car and ducked under a motor bike only to crash face first into a the wall of a small building of sorts. His right hand accidentally touched it and in an instant it turned to ruins and magnetically flew towards the black hole. As Touma was pulled diagonally towards the center of another building, he saw a man wearing a green helmet wedged between a bicycle and the brick wall.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Oh justice!"

"Oof!"

The two grunted as Touma crashed into the man. He again touched the wall by accident. Then he put his right hand on the man's shoulder as an apologetic gesture…

"Sorry!"

...and dispelled the effects of the psychokinesis which catapulted them across the street faster than any bike has gone before.

"Oh fuUYUK!"

Touma was yanked by the gravitational pull. His lower body dangled in mid air as he grabbed the cyclist by the shoulders. They screamed as the cyclist is forced to peddle faster and harder than ever before while the bike was dragged across the ground at high speed. The cyclist swerved around debris until he noticed that he is slowly rising up.

Touma looked up and saw an enormous black ball sucking in cars, trees, buildings, clouds and even the Academy City blimp was only a few miles away from him. At the speed they traveled, they would reach it in seconds.

Then something else caught his attention.

Several meters in the distance a woman holding a small child floated towards the black mass. And the field of psychic energy didn't hold them. It was clear the esper responsible was weakened by the strain of fighting against a black hole. Whatever the case, saving them became a priority. Touma knew he couldn't guarantee that his plan would work so the ideal thing to do would be to save them before they get sucked in. But he couldn't afford to waste time either since the psychokinesis was failing as well.

Touma's heart raced. They weren't guaranteed to fly right towards them or even reach them before they reached the black hole.

Coincidentally, a very large man in a prisoner's uniform was hunched over in a way that created an impromptu ramp. And he was lined up perfectly with the speeding bike.

Touma groaned as he pulled his lower body to the bike ascending bike.

"Listen, sir!" Touma shouted as he curls his legs and forced an immense strain on his core. "Don't worry about me! Save those girls!"

"What?!"

While he tightened his grip on the cyclists' shoulders, Touma carefully balanced his left foot on the center of the his back and his right foot on the edge of his seat. He took full advantage of the friction his basketball sneakers could create to create a comfortably balanced position that he could control. The bike moved down a bit due to the redistribution of weight. Touma squinted for a few seconds as he timed the distance between them and the large man.

"I'm sorry if this is too much to ask but you have to! Forget about me! I'll be fine!"

The cyclist soared into the air as the larger prisoner makes a joyful moan. Before he rolled of the large man's body, the same time, Touma kicked off the bike as hard as he could. A second too soon and they risked floating back up either due to the excess force that might have ricocheted them off the ground or because the pull of the black hole would have sucked them in regardless. A second too late and the two would have went right above the prisoner and into the black hole, missing the girls entirely.

He put his right arm on his back while he flew past debris.

Touma hit the back of an electronic billboard with a thud only he heard. The billboard sat atop a twelve story building. He placed his left forearm in front of his face to act as a cushion. However, he slammed into it hard which hurt his knees and elbow in the process. But he succeeded in that Imagine Breaker didn't cancel the effect of the billboard. If it did, he ran risk of being stuck behind it as it flew towards the black hole.

He groaned in pain and was forced and paralyzed by the shock of hitting the billboard. It felt like thousands of tiny needles drilled into his joints. To make matters worse, the stab wound from earlier began to throb. He clenched his teeth to cope with the pain. After a moment, he found the will to forces himself towards the edge of the billboard.

(I can't afford to think about what if.)

With every fiber of strength he could muster in his diminishing state, he dragged his body across the side of the billboard using his left hand as support. He slowly but surely approached its edge.

(I can't afford to think about failure! I have to act now even if it means throwing everything away!)

He thought he heard someone calling him an idiot. A handful of people who would call him that if they saw what he did. He did not know if he was hallucinating from the pain or not but he did not let that distract him.

His path was clear. It was time for this protagonist to take center stage.

Touma soared through the air at high speed as soon as his upper body reached the edge of the billboard. At first it appeared that his body would twirl again but he managed to position himself so that his stomach is parallel to the ground before that happened.

Everything seemed blurry as he went past some trees and garbage bots. After some seconds air friction made his skin boil. Tears fell out of his eyes due to a lack of moisture. His left eye shut and the vision in his right grew blurry. Even after it started to burn, he forced it to stay open and took advantage of each blink. It was as if the environment, the elements, logic, that strange voice that called him an idiot, every blazing pore in his body and even Academy City itself were telling him "Don't do it."

However, he forced his right arm in front of him.

That was not something that could be decided for him. And if you thought you could talk Touma Kamijou out of making a decision after he made up his mind…

Well... let's just say that was an illusion that can easily be shattered.

The black vortex was not that far. There was no turning back.

Suddenly…

"Kid, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

Touma couldn't open his left eye but he recognized that voice.

"Captain Baldy?! What are you doing up here?!"

"That's my line dumbass! I saw to make your way off that billboard! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"Listen-"

"Girls are never a good reason to commit suicide!"

"Shut the fuck up and listen! My right hand! It cancels magic! That's how I broke the sword! That's how I beat Abicus! And that's how I'm going to destroy that black hole!"

"?!"

"But...I'm not sure if my right hand even can stop it or if that black hole really is magic. Even so, I have to tryyyyyyy!"

Touma gagged and coughed. Spit flew out of the side of his mouth and onto his cheek before it slid off. Saitama stared at him in astonishment. This otherwise normal boy , on the verge of death was willing to sacrifice his life on the off chance that he might save everybody and didn't have a second doubt about it.

Perhaps it was his immense strength that alienated him from humanity. That prevented him from experiencing emotional depth. But a long time ago, there was once a man who truly believed that his safety, his peace of mind, and his life were all but small sacrifices for the sake of the greater good. For a brighter tomorrow. For a tomorrow.

Saitama knew that man very well and he thought he would have gotten along just fine with this boy in spite of their contrasting views. But in the end, they would both fight for the same causes. And in the end…

(We just do what we can to pitch in. This is what a true hero looks like.)

A smile formed on the corner of Saitama's cheek. He could not experience the feelings the young boy besides him is but that didn't matter. He understood his motives because there was in the exact same place he was. More or less...

"Kid...I'm sorry, Touma. If all you needed was some help, all you had to do was ask."

"?"

Saitama wrapped his right arm around Touma's waist and brought him closer to his side so that their sides touched.

"The _hell_ are you doing?!"

He cocked his left arm arm back.

They were only a few meters away from the black hole.

"Serious Series…" Saitama said with a serious expression on his face.

Abicus noticed something speeding towards the black hole of of the corner of his eye. He figured it was a person but could not discern if it was one or more. All he could make out was a figure flying like a western super hero towards the massive orb of destruction.

He squinted his eyes. It did not take him long to realize what it was.

Normally, he wouldn't have paid it a second thought. Who could beat the might of a black hole after all? But then he noticed something. They didn't have the expressions of people fearing for their lives. In fact, it didn't look like they were stolen from where they were standing. They looked determined.

But why? Who the hell would stare down unknown terror with any hint of optimism?

Then he pieced it together. The black hole was of magical origin.

One hand destroyed all of his spells. One hand could easily destroy him.

His thoughts went blank. All he could do was stare.

"THREE QUARTERS SERIOUS PUUUUUNNNNNNNCHA!"

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The figure disappeared into the orb. Abicus floated, bewildered. A certain sound reached his ears.

Two fists. One that was worthy of the gods. And one that exceeded the gods.

The tattered remains of a beautiful city began to rain on the pavement.


	39. Chapter 4 Part 10

2:13 PM

(What. THE. FUUUUUUUUUUCK?!)

Abicus' starred with his jaw dropped upon viewing the evisceration of the black hole.

(They. They penetrated my hole?! You can't fucking do that! That's cheating! RAGHAFAHARGH!)

It looked as if Abicus' bloodshot eyes could have popped out at a moment's notice as he twisted his wand, making it change shape as if it were rubber. Then he sighed and took off his hat.

(Guess I'll have to go with plan B.)

He rummaged in his hat for a few moments. Then...

While holding Yoshikawa's hand, Mumen Rider dangled from the edge of a building. He groaned and strained as he tried to pull the combined weight of her and Last Order up literally single handedly.

"Have no fear ladies!" he proclaimed after a pant. "Mumen Rider will get you to safety in no time flat so just "hang on- hey, you're getting pretty light."

He turned around to meet Accelerator holding Yoshikawa in a bridal position as he slowly slowly walked down the side of the building. With one arm, he grabbed Mumem Rider and held him under his arm like luggage. The three of them then slid down the side of the building at a leisurely pace.

"You know," Yoshikawa said. "You can be a real gentleman when you feel like it."

"The fuck up."

"Misaka agrees. You fought bravely against a black hole that destroyed most of the city for the sake of saving us and for that, Misaka thanks you, says Misaka as she gives Accelerator a smoochum on the cheek as a sign of affection. Mwuah!"

Accelerator winced. He'd most definitely give me a stroke if he knew that I told you guys he didn't mind it all that much.

"I swear to God, I'll drop all of you."

"Justice," Mumen Rider needlessly added.

Carrying a gasping Touma in his cape, Saitama fell quickly to the ground. He stared at resting young man with a proud smile.

"You did good kid," he says with a warmth he hasn't felt in a very long time.

Touma groaned.

"...I wasn't entirely sure whether that'd work or not. My right hand can't negate magic if it's strong enough...Arghhhh...so I guess you weren't so useless after all."

"Heh. You piece of shit."

Touma weakly smiled.

However, his smile quickly turns into a frown upon seeing a massive figure briefly blocking the sun.

"Ah?"

Saitama was just as shocked when he saw the same thing heading towards his comrades several meters ahead of him.

A massive white rabbit. Approximately 386.765 kilometers tall and 200 km wide to be exact. It had pink scalera and tiny (relative to it), rapidly moving violet pupils. A pair of uneven buck teeth jutted out of it's snout.

Tatsumaki sat on the ground propped against her sister's shoulder, panting.

"Scatter!" Atomic Samurai yelled before jumping several feet diagonally.

Puri-Puri Prisoner picked up Fubuki and followed Atomic Samurai with Child Emperor jumping in pursuit. Meanwhile Speed-o'-Sound Sonic picked up Tatsumaki and turned around, dashing away at high speed. Bang soon after followed Sonic. Genos grabbed Mikoto and Kuroko by the nape of their collars with the intent of hoisting them over his shoulders but Kuroko teleported herself and Mikoto while he did so.

Genos' palms glew orange. He aimed them at its nape but did not fire when he realized he was at top of a building 200 feet away from where he was just standing. The windows on the complexes adjacent to the rabbit shattered. He looked down to his right and saw the rabbit making an impact on the street, shaking the very building he stood on. He nearly lost his balance while the weakened Kuroko fell over.

It jumped onto what seems like an apartment building, completely obliterating it upon contact. A few fragments flew towards the building that Bang and Puri-Puri Prisoner were on of but the two of them destroy them with high speed punches. Genos made quick work of the incoming fragments with an ocean of orange flames with his Incinerator.

Taking the initiative, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic ran up the rabbit's right foot while pulling out his dagger. But making contact with its skin, the blade shattered much to his chagrin. After a slight delay, he pulled out his main sword.

Atomic Samurai leapt from atop of a building and unsheathed his sword.

(Better aim for the guy controlling it. Don't wanna end up breaking my sword like Sonic.)

Abicus simply waved his wand as if he didn't care.

"Gale Wind. Level 5."

While mere centimeters away from him, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic and Atomic Samurai were blown back several feet by a massive wind. Air friction caused some slight burns on their skin and they even teared up a bit.

The Rabbit took another hop, becoming nothing but a speck in the empty blue sky.

"Not good! A jump from that distance could cause a shockwave spreading through the entire city!" Child Emperor yelled.

"Shit!" Saitama yelled from several miles away. "It's too far away! We're not gonna make it!"

While carrying Touma, he ran as fast as he could. However, it didn't take a genius to realize that the rabbit was too far away for them to reach even at his top running speed. He could have simply jumped towards it, seeing that he made it from the moon to Earth in under two seconds. But Touma was badly damaged by the air friction from the black hole. He wasn't large enough to cover the young man with his body and his cape wasn't thick enough to offer protection at similar speeds.

Saitama was at a stalemate. The impact of his punches would just bounce back if he hit Abicus. And he would risk launching the rabbit several miles with a serious attack. The only way to beat them would be a combined effort between Saitama and Touma but even that wasn't possible from

When all hopped seemed lost, something zipped past Saitama.

"Mwuhahahahahahahaha!" Abicus laughed as he held his hat with his right hand. His beard, remains of his hair, and caped flapped in the turbulence as he rapidly descended towards Academy City. "So long shit heads! You'll rue the day you were born after you've wrong Abicus the Magnificent! HAHAHAHAHA!"

The rabbit soon reached the ground. Actually, that's not quite accurate. It violently shook and Abicus lost his balance for a second. This was because the impact was redirected from it's left foot by Accelerator's Reflection. Normally, it would have been launched in any direction of Accelerator's choosing. But then it would have been launched further away allowing it to recover and jump again. And launching it into the air would just set it up for another attack. With all this in mind, Accelerator grabbed the tip of the rabbit's right foot and flipped it on it's back, creating an eruption several times weaker than what would have happened had it initially struck the ground. Abicus clung to the top of the rabbit's head using magic but the ride down was not fun.

"Well?!" Accelerator shouted as loudly as he could. "Don't just stand there! Do somethiiiiiiiing!"

Bang darted through the air like a bullet. He brought his arms back while having his fingers bent. Puri-Puri Prisoner followed and after curling up extended his body and took on some sort of ballerina like pose. His clothe shredded and black wings appeared from his back.

"Dark Angel Rush!"

"What!?" Accelerator gasps. "An angel?!"

Then Accelerator noticed the hulking figure was naked.

(...Nope.)

"ORAORAORAORAORA!"

Puri-Puri-Prisoner releases a barrage of punches while Bang thrusts his right palm into a section of the rabbit's stomach. The targeted areas sink but then bounce back up, knocking Puri-Puri Prisoner and Bang several feet in the opposite direction.

Accelerator kicked off but nearly dislocated his foot and fell on his stomach with a thud.

"God fucking dammit!" Accelerator said as he hits the on and off switch on his electrode choker several times to no avail. His cane was nowhere in sight since he left it with Yoshikawa. The rabbit's foot moved towards him.

"!"

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic whisked him away, supporting his neck so he didn't get whiplash.

"Technical issues?" Speed-o'-Sound asked.

"Tsk. My choker, the thing that lets me use my powers, ran out of power."

"Then you're useless."

"Bite me."

"Hmph. You've got edge."

"So everyone says."

Genos jumped from building to building, propelling himself with rockets on his back. Kuroko, holding Misaka around the waist while she teleports, barely managed to keep up.

Genos pointed his palms at atop of the rabbit's head, directly at Abicus.

"Incinerate!"

An enormous sheet of flame was ejected from his palms.

Without looking Abicus bent his left arm, pointing his wand to the sky.

"Misdirection."

The flames curved in an angle as if they were water being poured in a cup from a distance. From that irregular angle, the flames headed directly towards Genos.

He didn't even have time puts his hands up before being swallowed up in a swarm of fire.

"Mr. Cyborg! *FWISH!*" Mikoto yelled looking behind her.

"Pro tip," Abicus shouts. "If you're going for a sneak attack, don't shout it out! Not that it'll help you now."

Abicus waved his wand in a circular motion.

"Odin's Eye."

A purple light flashed. Then an eye the size of a human head with a golden iris appeared. The eye floated towards the edge of the rabbit. That spell, which was based on Norse mythology, allowed him to see everything within a field of 360 degrees. So while his regular eyes allowed him to see everything in front of him, Odin's Eye would inform him of everything behind him.

"Good luck hitting me with a sneak attack no-ah-oooow?!"

The rabbit stumbled over and screamed while it hopped on it's left foot. It's right foot was on fire. But Genos' attack was reflected right at him. There was no he could have done that.

As the terror hopper stumbled in pain, Stiyl Magnus wedged himself against a wall and the rabbit's back, swiftly avoiding being crushed.

Bang and Puri-Puri Prisoner landed gracefully on the street. Stiyl ran over to them and was soon joined by Atomic Samurai.

"Thank you, young one," Bang says.

"We're not done yet," Stiyl said without even considering a 'you're welcome.' "We need to come up with a strategy. Blunt attacks won't wo-"

Stiyl ceased talking as the three heroes before him suddenly disappeared in movements faster than he could detect.

"Atomic…"

A blue light slashes through half of a building heading their way, severing it in half. Then the severed parts were slashed vertically creating four chunks.

"...Slash!"

Bang obliterated one fragment with a single palm thrust. Puri-Puri Prisoner decimates another by punching it several times at lightning speed.

Atomic Samurai slashed one into several smaller and harmless pieces.

Stiyl took a step to the side to avoid being crushed by a stray fragment. The heroes landed a few meters away from him.

"Nice," said Puri-Puri Prisoner referring to Atomic Samurai. "But why didn't you just do that from the start?"

"Much as I like to take credit, that first strike wasn't mine."

"No."

A female voice caught the attention of the Z-City Heroes. The drawn out sound of a sword being sheathed was heard. The woman slowly approached them.

"That was mine."

The left leg of her jeans was torn off, as is the right sleeve of her jean jacket. It wasn't buttoned up which revealed a white t-shirt that seemed to be tied from the back, revealing her navel. Her long black hair in spite of being tied in a ponytail reached her hips.

Stiyl turned to her with an annoyed expression.

"You're late," Stiyl said in an irritated voice. "Kanzaki."


	40. Chapter 4 Part 11

2:17 PM

While carrying Touma in his cape, Saitama screeched to a halt in front of the heroes with the addition of another samurai.

"...You have your roles. Now disperse," Stiyl said.

Like well trained soldiers in a cadence the rest of the group simultaneously jumped towards the Terror Hopper that was still hopping on one foot.

"Uh, who are you? And what the plan?" Saitama questioned.

"That rabbit seems to deflect physical attacks like it's made of rubber and simple bladed attacks are useless. And I suspect that eye can see in any direction at once. We need something to distract it while we attack it and the user with either magic or energy attacks. But that's all a ruse. The real plan is getting that boy to touch it. As you probably already know, his right hand cancels magic. If we destroy the rabbit, defeating Abicus should be a sinch."

"Ah. Sounds simple enough."

"Simple doesn't mean easy."

Touma groaned.

"Hey Touma. You alright there?"

"More or less. But that's the least of our problems. Just get me close enough. All I need to end this is one punch."

Saitama felt a fire inside of him he hadn't felt in a long time. He put on an optimistic smile.

(A boy after my own heart.)

"Alright then. Let's fuck some face."

Genos, burned quite a bit, landed next to Saitama.

"Sensei, what's the plan?"

"I'm not explaining this shit again," Stiyl complained as he waved at the other side of the long street he is on. "You tell him."

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic slid to a stop in a fairly damaged side of Academy City.

"Tch. I can't believe I'm stuck babysitting your useless ass."

"That's a funny way of saying 'you're welcome' considering I was the one that stopped that thing from possibly destroying the city."

"Hpm. You've got a mouth on you. I like that."

"...Don't make this weird."

"Dammit, I don't see any place safe that I could possibly drop you off."

A thick lightning bolt shaped like some sort of ancient dog headed directly towards Speed-o'-Sound Sonic. He only noticed when it was three feet away from him. Unfortunately, lightning beats sound. Had he seen it from a further distance he might have been able to dodge it. But it was too close to him.

His pupils shrank.

(Shit...I shouldn't have stopped running.)

To his surprise, something suddenly appeared in front of him, absorbing all of the electricity in a loud roar. Sparks began flowing into the air making the street lights flicker on and off.

Reminiscent of a certain golden haired teenager from another story, Mikoto Misaka's hair stood up perfectly as she was enveloped with several flickering blue sparks.

Kuroko fell onto the ground and shielded her eyes with her right arm

"Sissy, I know you shine brighter than any star in the universe but this is ridiculous!"

Mikoto turned around to look at her emotionally exhausting friend with a light smile. She look up as something caught her eye. Accelerator looked to the side.

"Kuroko, go over to that red haired guy. He's waving at you."

"Yes ma'am! *FWISH!*"

Mikoto turned back around.

"...This changes nothing."

She wasn't looking at him but Accelerator knew she was referring to him. He knew he was directly responsible for giving her immensely painful memories. But now was not the time to deal with that.

"Tch. Like I give a damn."

And so Accelerator lied.

*FWISH!*

Kuroko reappeared with Genos and then placed a hand on Speed-o'-Sound Sonic's shoulder.

"You're needed. And sissy, let it rip! Don't hold back! *FWISH!*"

Genos leaned back slightly and puts his arms together. A complex series of cannons in various sizes protruded from of them.

"If physical attacks won't work then I'll just use raw electricity. Feel like lending me a hand Mr. Robot?"

"I can lend you two, Ms. Misaka."

Abicus chuckled. The flames on the rabbit's foot stopped. A thick mist was expelled from it's mouth as it exhaled. Using Odin's Eye he saw that his foes were conjuring some sort of two pronged attack. Behind him, he noticed Kuroko teleporting away but made nothing of it. Because of her job, he was weary that she would try to apprehend rather than kill him so she wouldn't do anything lethal. And if she teleported onto the rabbit for close quarters combat, he could simply have it hop into the sky and deliver another devastating blow to the city. She must have known that too hence why she hasn't made a direct move on him in all this time.

In front of him he saw Genos aiming his arm cannon at him.

(Like that's gonna work. I could just jump out of the...)

Suddenly, the rabbit cocked its head back and roared with a foaming mouth. Abicus' arms swung back wildly as he struggles to maintain equilibrium.

"What?!"

He stomped his way to the tip of the head and peered down. Four street lights are lodged into the center of each foot, connecting it to the street. He could see a pig tailed girl winking in a flamboyant pose as if she were a member magical girl that's popular with children.

(Fucking teleporter. Fine, I'll do this the hard waaaaaay?!)

Fire shot up from the rabbit's stomach and past its head. Abicus stepped back, narrowly avoiding it.

"The shit?!"

From a far, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic shuffled a rune card between his fingers as he leaned on a yield sign.

"Now!" Mikoto yelled.

"Incinerate!" Genos shouts.

Genos shot a wide burst of fire. Mikoto then thrusts her right hands forward and out shoots a large radius of electricity. The electricity wrapped itself around the flame creating a spiraling effect. To top it off, literally, the electricity took the shape a roaring dragon at the head of the orange blast.

Genos would have named it the combined attack Electric Dragon's Incinerate.

The blast slammed into the rabbit's stomach.

"Yes!" Mikoto said as she pumped her fist. "We nailed him!"

"?! Not quite!"

The blast sunk into the belly of the rabbit. Normally, this would obliterate anything it its path but instead, the rabbit's spine extends several meters like a cartoon character getting shot in the stomach with a cannon.

Abicus smiled widely with his hands on his hips.

The combined attack was launched at an angle a few meters over Genos and Mikoto. Since it was aimed up at the rabbit's stomach from a position lower than it, the attack was sent up. It traveled until it dispersed in the atmosphere. From space, it would have looked like a shooting star leaving Earth.

"N-no way…" Mikoto whispered with her pupils dilated. An agonizing feeling erupted in her stomach as she remembered how easily Accelerator reflected her attack after slaughtering one of her sisters. For a moment, she was utterly paralyzed. Not because of how close she came to death. But because she was rendered useless yet again.

Abicus leisurely scratched the bottom of his chin.

(Nice try but the electricity screwed you over. Rubber is an insulator of electricity. Since the front of the attack was wrapped in electricity, it simply a matter of holding it in place and quite literally bouncing it off with my Rubiosa spell. If it was purely a flame attack, ol' girl here would have been burned to a crisp but you two just had to get all Super Sentai on me. Sucks for you. You may as well have thrown a giant rock. Now, I need to think of a better strategy. If I just jump really high, they're just gonna throw the kid at me and that's just ruin everything. Plus, there's that teleporter girl who spoils everything…)

Abicus was distracted by a glimmering light out of the corner of his eyes. A faint blue diagonal line was headed towards him.

"Misdirection."

He flung his wand without looking and sends the slash whence it came. Kanzaki threw her upper body backwards narrowly avoiding being hit by her own attack. She then does a backflip before landing a few feet in front of Abicus. She kicked off her right foot, closing the gap between them in seconds and swung her two meter long sword, the Shichiten Shichitou, up towards the sinister magician.

Abicus flicked his wand to block it and formed an orange sparks and a loud clanking sound. He pressed against it using his right palm. Kanzaki dragged her blade up, sending Abicus sliding several feet back. He slid across the spine of the massive rabbit for a few seconds.

"Gale Wi…"

Abicus ducked, quickly avoiding a horizontal cut from Atomic Samurai that came from behind. He flipped twice to the side to gain some distance. He rubbed the wand with his hand which turned it into a sabre.

"Dammit…!"

He raised his right sleeve and another sword slid out of it. He pointed one sword at Atomic Samurai and held the other out in front of him at a diagonal angle. Kanzaki dashed from the right and clashed with Abicus yet again. He turned his body to avoid the full weight of the attack and raised his right arm to parry a diagonal slice from Atomic Samurai. With swift and fluid acrobatic movements the three danced around each other as bright white sparks flew mixed in with the sound of metal clashing.

Kanzaki whipped her blade horizontally. Abicus parried it with a low hop with his stomach parallel to the rabbit's spine to avoid a cut from Atomic Samurai aimed at his legs. He blocked Kanzaki's strike with the sword in his right hand but it shattered. Then, the tip of his left sword stretched, slashing Atomic Samurai in the left cheek with barely enough time to arch his head out of the way.

Abicus quickly back peddled while turning his sword back into a wand. It had become apparent he was out matched in a sword battle here. Kanzaki sheathed her sword much to the surprise of her aly and foe. Nonetheless, Abicus tapped himself on the shoulder as sword wielders closed in.

"Rubios-oof!"

He found himself awkwardly wrapped in several strong wires. His arm is pushed into his face at an awkward angle.

"It's over!" Kanzaki shouted as she pulled her lightly clenched her palms causing a massive shock all over Abicus' body with her wires called Nanasen. "Surrender now and we will apprehend you peacefully!"

"Tch, says you gorgeous, " Atomic Samurai snickered with a smirk.

The wires hugged Abicus tightly creating visible dents on his skin. Kanzaki squinted as she tightened her grip by slowly closing her palms and pulling her arms back. Even though they were authorized to kill Abicus and in spite of the monstrosity he took part in moments ago, she still believed that killing him wasn't the best option. Granted, there's no doubt that he murdered a possibly a few hundred with the black hole he summoned. She still held a fiery hatred for him because of the nature of his crimes. The more she thought about it, the more conflicted she felt.

Then she thought again about how this one perverted old man nearly destroyed civilization in the name of female underwear.

An immense anger erupted from within her as she scowled at her prey. She had never felt such an intense feeling for anyone up to that point. Even though she just said that she would offer him a second chance she then secretly hoped he would reject it. There was enough scum freely roaming the planet. It wasn't the most lady like of jobs but she became more than willing to dispose of this trash.

Abicus didn't respond in the few seconds he was given to speak. Kanzaki took that as his answer.

"So be it."

She yanked her arms back as hard as she could. As the strong wire sunk into his flesh at several uneven intervals, he turned into a flock of white birds and scattered into the sky.

"What?!"

"The hell?!"

The birds flew back down and flocked around the two sword wielders as their backs faced each other. Waves of feathers rained upon them. A stray feather slowly descended upon the distracted Kanzaki's chest and sliced right through the front of her t-shirt with a loud rip. She yelped and quickly grabbed both ends of the shirt before revealing the once in a lifetime sight of her legendary Saintly cleavage. Her face glowed bright pink out of embarrassment and could not tell whether she was more angry or embarrassed. She silently thanked God that her allies, namely Touma Kamijou, were not around to witness her at the moment.

As if he had a built in breast detecting radar, Atomic Samurai turned around with a serious look.

"What was that?"

"N-nothing! Worry about yourself!"

"Hmm…"

Atomic Samurai sniffed two or three times.

"85...no, 120.48… I might be off by a bit…"

"What the hell could you possibly be talking about?!"

"Your bust size in centimeters. I'm usually much more accurate than this but it's like there's some magical disturbance or something interfering."

"You fucking scum!"

At that moment, Kanzaki was truly confused about who her real opponent was.

While she tightly squeezed the vest of her sleeve, she whipped her arm into the air and waved it in a circular motion several times. Several of the were slashed by the steel hard wires and joined with their kin. Some of them fanned out to avoid caught in the web.

One of the birds that was about two meters in front of Kanzaki morphed into Abicus who thrusted his palms at her. His intention was to limit her movements so he could as he mount an unavoidable sneak attack. While the feathers were more of distraction than anything, Atomic Samurai's lewd remark about Kanzaki aided in diverting her attention.

He didn't know his but Kanzaki's style of dressing was a form of magic that helped her maintain the balance needed to make swift movements. This was necessary in order to move at the speed of sound she was granted due to her Saintly body. That is to say she was one of the few people born into the world that had the same magical properties as the Son of God. This gave her access to spells exclusive to her kind in and prevented her from using lesser tier magic. Basically, she was like an RPG which normally couldn't use bullets. It was a simple plan but it worked out much better than he anticipated.

"Chidori! One-thousand Birds!"

Several white birds fly out of his sleeves and scatter in an area making it impossible for Kanzaki who was unable to do anything. She felt her pride weaken as she, one of the most powerful people on her planet, was easily outwitted by such a perverted tactic.

Just as her hope wanned, Kanzaki heard wind being sliced.

"Atomic Slash!"

In a flurry of arm movements faster than she's ever seen, Atomic Samurai effortlessly performed possibly hundreds of thousands of cuts in every direction. Every bird that came his way was cleaved in two and turned into dust. She might have only heard about this once or twice from her Tsuchimikado but she imagines that the scene before her would fit in perfectly in those anime or video games kids enjoyed.

"Hmph. I knew you were trying to distract us so you could find an opening for sneak attack. So I distracted you with a distraction of my own. Too bad you didn't factor in my speed into your equation. You don't get to be this high ranked by falling for amateurish plans."

Kanzaki's heart sunk a little bit after hearing that comment.

"No offense to you miss…?"

"Just...shut up and cut."

"That's a funny name. Maybe you can tell me where that's from later on over dinner."

"Are you...are you asking me out on a date?! Now of all times?!"

"So is that a yes or…"

"Hell noooooooo!"

Kanzaki may have been exhausted by this man's sheer audacity but his insane skill and gumption were out of this world. It was like he was some sort of comic book character or something.

I mean, yeah no shit but Kanzaki didn't know that.

During the barrage their footing moved forward nearly making them lose their balance. The rabbit slammed its head into the street which created an explosion of dust and fragments. Atomic Samurai and Kanzaki jumped into the air before they were completely upside down.

Abicus waved his wand at the street lights, lifting them out of the rabbit's feet. In response, it turned around much quicker than its size indicated it could and slashed Kanzaki into Atomic Samurai with the back of its left paw taking full advantage of the force generated from whipping its body 360 degrees. They soared through the air like a bullet into a business building several miles away, forming a dent that destroys every window on that side.

Odin's Eye moved several meters above the rabbit. Through that, he saw Genos above him with his leg up to his head. He tapped himself on the shoulder with his wand.

"Rubiosa!"

Genos delivered an axe kick which knocked Abicus down into the street. Even though his body took on the properties of rubber, a crater with a large diameter spilling into the sidewalks formed as he made impact. His body spun as he ricocheted. Genos then cocked his fist back as several small rockets sprung from his elbow, forearm and shoulder. He threw (not literally) a devastating punch. A massive shock wave cracked all of the surrounding buildings. Mikoto screamed as she is knocked to the ground by the shock. Abicus' neck stretched as his head flies several feet, his body following. His head whips back to his body which sends it in a spin before he stops himself in midair.

As Genos fell to the ground, he saw a giant, balled up white paw heading towards him. He put his arms up to block it but was knocked into the air with a loud thud. His dislocated right arm shot sparks as it dangled in the air. Using rockets from his back and left hand he managed to decrease the amount of miles he was launched and quickly propelled himself back towards the rabbit.

With one more powerful thrust from his left palm rocket, he launched himself forward. He cocked his left arm back and squeezed it. The rabbit swung up its right arm intending to clash. Genos instead punched the base of the fist and rolled onto it before boosting across the arm. He jumped into the air to and created a massive ball of fire in his left palm.

Abicus swooped in at high speed standing directly where Genos was aiming. Genos didn't intend to lure him out but would gladly kill two birds with one stone. Genos thrust his palm downwards. The two made eye contact. Abicus looked up with a surprisingly calm smile.

"Incinerate!"

Abicus raised his wand.

"Misdirection."

But to his surprise, Genos didn't aim his attack at him. In fact, he didn't aim at him at al. Instead he swung his arm behind him at an angle and dashed, landing about a meter to the left of Abicus. The magician was stunned due to the shock of the attack. That slight delay gave Genos enough time to close the gap.

Abicus' swung his stomach to the right to avoid what would have been a devastating straight jab. In retaliation, Genos spun around and threw a back kick. Abicus brought his arm down to block but was pointless. Genos' mechanical leg shattered his right humerus and sent him spiraling down the street into the rabbit's leg.

Before he had time to write in pain, Genos dashed down the street. Abicus pulled against the rabbit's fur to cover himself. Genos paid him no mind. Instead of trying attack him, he jumped in the air and threw a rocket propelled upper slap to the massive rabbit's chin. He didn't throw that much force into it since he remembered that it had rubber properties. Instead, he let the fire do its work.

The bottom of the rabbit's chin was scorched and it stumbled back with a roar. But as he was landing, Genos was hit by a thick, dog shaped lightning bolt. His spine arched as several orange sparks and tiny explosions engulfed him. Abicus hopped back as the damaged cyborg fell in front of him. He destroyed a radius of cement upon landing.

His left hand was bent entirely back and nearly every hair on the top of his head was singed.

"Valiant effort cyborg. But not good enough."

To his surprise, Genos weakly grabbed his right foot. It spasmed as he struggled to slowly to lift himself up.

"My my, what spunk we have! But honestly, it's really annoying. So…"

Abicus leaned over and tapped Genos with the tip of his wand. A massive surge of electricity rattled his body, causing him to spasm several times. The electricity spreads across the rabbit's body.

"Alakazheemo, alakazhingo."

With his head facing down, Genos' body floated lifelessly in front of Abicus. He moved his head up and could barely keep his eyes open as he stared at the magician's menacing grin. Abicus waved his wand behind himself using only his fingers.

"Be gone."

While being unable to fight back, Genos was propelled at high speed in an arc.

Saitama held Touma atop of a four story building.

"You know, we could have had Kuroko just teleport us to the rabbit," Touma sayid.

A drop of sweat appeared on the side of Saitama's head.

"She went around the rabbit a few times. I'm pretty sure she would have had no problem just teleporting me on to it."

" _No._ His eye thing would have seen you coming!"

"It wouldn't matter! It's not like he can react fast enough to teleportation!"

"You don't know that! He's a magician! They notoriously have tricks up their sleeves!"

"Admit it! You just got carried away trying to look cool when you jumped off after explaining to the plan to your robot friend!"

"..."

As Saitama contemplated a comeback, a mass flew past the two. Saitama turned his head to see what it was.

"...Genos?"

Genos crashed a few feet behind where Stiyl, Kuroko and Speed-o'-Sound Sonic stood. They turned around in shock.

"The hell?" Stiyl said.

Saitama landed next to Stiyl with a crash.

"Yo red. He smashed up my homie. That's not cool." Saitama said with a particularly serious expression.

"The hell are you doing? You need to stay out of sight for as long as possible for this plan to work!"

"Your plan BLOWS!" Saitama shouted as he pointed at his smashed up friend.

Atop of the rabbit's head, Abicus adjusted his hat while staring at himself in front of a mirror that floated in front of him.

Down below, Mikoto slowly stood up and clenched her fist. A mass of electricity surrounds her emitting a blue light. All the dust in the air raised in a spiral around her. She ran up the side of a building sticking to it using magnetism. When she got close enough to the rabbit's head, she jumped and shot electricity to a point next to Abicus' feet.

"Hhrgaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh!"

Abicus turned around. In Mikoto's hands was a massive black sword with a blade extending fifteen feet in length and two feet in width. Of course, the hilt was thin enough for her to hold.

"Hmm… that could be a problem."

Abicus kicked off his left foot, gliding across the top of the rabbit's head. He stopped right in front of Mikoto so he can look her in the eye.

"Misdirection."

"Ahhh!"

Mikoto released a high pitched scream as Abicus' wand sinks into her stomach. She flipped over him and her body twirled for several meters.

"Hmm… that could be a problem."

Abicus kicked off his left foot, gliding across the top of the rabbit's head. He stopped right in front of Mikoto so he can look her in the eye.

"Misdirection."

"Ahhh!"

Mikoto released a high pitched scream as Abicus' wand sunk into her stomach. She flipped over him and her body twirled for several meters.

*FWISH!* *FWISH!* *FWISH!*

"SISSY!"

While appearing as if she were running in mid air, Kuroko caught Mikoto and quickly teleported back to her position with the rest of the group. She gently laid Mikoto on the ground as she curls up her body, holding her stomach.

"Tch!" Stiyl clicked his teeth.

"Any more bright ideas?!" Saitama shouted.

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic pulled out a several shuriken and held them between his fingers.

Abicus pointed his wand up.

"Fifty-two-"

A bullet bounced off his right cheek. He swung his head and saw Child Emperor standing on a building to his right with a pistol attached to a mechanical limb protruding from his backpack. He had the look of a child who was caught getting extra snacks before bed time.

"Huh. Forgot that you could do that…"

(SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT. How could I forget he could make himself rubber? And I just saw it too!)

Abicus clenched his right fist. A vein pulsated on the side of his forehead and complemented his smile that completed his tranquil fury.

(Sneaky bastard must have been moving around during all of that chaos. Making me forget he was even there. Fucking brat.)

The rabbit quickly punched the building Child Emperor was standing on, sending him flying in the air with several fragments of cement and marble. Abicus then whipped his wand diagonally.

"Fifty-two Drop Down!"

Fifty-two playing cards lined up in rows, completely obscuring the rabbit.

Kuroko gasped.

Child Emperor bounced of the building fragments using his mechanical limbs. Several RPGs, hand guns,blades varying from a machete to a katana and a hammer emerged from his backpack. A scouter like device covered his left eye.

(I'll blind him with a smoke screen by missing on purpose. Then I'll assault him with a barrage of cuts.)

Before he could even act on his plan, dread sank into Child Emperor's heart as he stared at the street.

"Incoming!" Saitama yelled.

"No!" Kuroko shouted back. "It's a set up! You have too-"

A giant silhouette blocked the sun. The rabbit's enormous white paw swung towards the street. Stiyl managed to jump away to avoid being crushed but was knocked into the window of a building by the shockwave. Speed-o'-Sound Sonic turned around and outran the shockwave.

However, the shockwave catapulted Saitama into the air. Touma screamed as he was several feet above the ground than recommended by your local physicist. Dust and fragments from the shattered street rose with them.

"OH SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII~..."

Saitama picked his nose with his pinky.

"Relax kid. Now. BRACE YOURSELF!

"WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Saitama turned around and raised Touma on his right hand like a javelin. Touma wrapped himself around his arm like a cat afraid of falling from a tree. But before Saitama did something that would have made many people very sad, the dust was blown away by Puri-Puri Prisoner rotating his arms at high speed.

"WAIT SAITAMA!" Bang shouted.

"Ah?"

Saitama landed next to him and stares at him with a confused look.

Bang then pointed somewhere at the sky to which Saitama diverted his gaze.

A moment before, the rabbit was but a few meters away from them. For some reason, he was several thousands of miles in the sky, nothing but a spiral of fire and electricity.

"How does he keep doing that…"

Saitama began to ask a question out loud to no one in particular before coming to a sudden realization. However, Kuroko who was nearby answered before him since nobody else knew either.

"He teleports by blocking someone's view of him with a foreign object. He's not a true teleporter."

"And he used the dust to block my vision just now…"

"But he's not all powerful. Even though he's high enough to have already collected enough kinetic energy to decimate the city and possibly cause tidal waves all over Japan, he can't suddenly teleport a few feet from the ground for the same effect, otherwise he would have done so already. And he's using that eye over there to make sure we do something that blocks our view of him so move somewhere that blocks obscures our view of him and perform an unblockable attack."

"It doesn't take a genius to realize that's gonna destroy the city," Child Emperor said as he made his way towards the group. "And maybe sink the rest of Tokyo too! At the speed he's falling, you only have thirty three seconds until impact!"

Fear was practically felt in the air.

"Kuroko," Touma said looking at the pig tailed girl. "Get on Caped Baldy's back. My right hand would cancel your ability. You need to teleport as far as you can with each step. They can't teleport if we're really far away from them. Combined with Saitama's running speed, you should be able to get underneath the rabbit in a few seconds. Even if you beat us there, Saitama, just punch it right back up. Go, now!"

Saitama set Touma down so that he stood on both feet.

Kuroko lightly set Mikoto's head on the pavement.

"R-right! *FWISH!*"

Kuroko teleported to Saitama's back who positions her slender legs under his armpits. She then grabbed his shoulders and teleported them about 76 meters forward. From there, Saitama went kicked off into a full speed sprint. The two were out of a human's recognizable sight in just under three seconds.

"And Sonic. You need to get me right underneath the rabbit as fast as you can. Even if

you beat Saitama there, I should be able to destroy the rabbit with my right hand."

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic knelt. Touma got on his back the same way Kuroko did. After properly securing him, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic flickered out of sight leaving a massive gust of wind in their wake.

Kuroko's maximum range for teleportation was exactly 81.5 meters, or 267.39 feet. Combined with the momentary distance covered by Saitama's top speed sprinting during the second intervals between Kuroko's teleportation, the two were able to reach the spot where the rabbit is slated to touchdown in six seconds.

The same couldn't be said for Speed-o'-Sound Sonic. At his top speed of 768 mph, he would not be able reach his the destination in time.

"Shoot…" Kuroko said silently after looking up then looking behind her. "It looks like they won't make it in time…"

"Then looks like I'll just have to punch it into the sun…"

"NO! If you knock it out of sight, he'll just teleport somewhere else!"

Saitama groaned impatiently.

"What other choice do we have?!"

The group of heroes from different dimensions stared at the bright orange rabbit as it nears the surface of Academy City.

"...15 seconds…" Child Emperor said silently.

Atomic Samurai and Kanzaki arrived carrying Fubuki and Tatsumaki respectively. Tatsumaki let herself off and Atomic Samurai, begrudgingly, set Fubuki down.

Tatsumaki walked next to Bang.

"Where's Saitama?"

Stiyl lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth. He looked into the sky and closed his eyes.

"Shouldering the fate of the world along with that boy. *Inhale* *sigh*"

"Heh." Puri-Puri Prisoner chuckled with a bitter smile. "This is a pretty shitty feeling you know? Getting thrown to the side like some side characters."

He clenched his right hand until it bled.

Bang heard sniffling. He cocked his head to his left.

"You bald bastard…*sniff*" Tatsumaki said quietly. "You better win or I'll kill you *sniff* sniff.*"

Bang lightly pet the top of her head.

"You must have faith young one. All hope is not lost."

While sitting on the ground, Mikoto observed Tatsumaki out of the corner of her eye. She suspected that Tatsumaki, as prideful as she seemed, didn't like to be seen in such a pitiful state. She wouldn't admit it but in an odd way, she can sympathise. Mikoto put her hands on her chest.

(Come on you idiot… save the day like you always do.)

On her right, Genos' unconscious body rested. Mikoto stared at it for a second, pondering if it was right to wake someone up only to make them witness to their doom.

(Nah…)

She places a finger out and electricity shoots out onto Genos' foot. His eyes glow and he immediately sits up.

"Sensei, there's a sale on produce this Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!..."

Genos looked around.

"Where is sensei?"

Mikoto pointed at the massive ball of fire several miles ahead of them. The environment was colored a bright red.

"Ah. I see. Then there is nothing to worry about."

Mikoto faintly smiled.

"Yeah… you're right."

A chorus of windows on several cars and buildings shattering erupted as Speed-o'-Sound Sonic dashed down the street at top speed.

(God fucking dammit, we're not gonna make it!) Touma complained as he peered ahead out of the corner of an eye. With his head resting on Speed-o'-Sound Sonic's back, he was protected by most of the air friction that was accumulated. His forearms, which were wrapped beneath Speed-o'-Sound Sonic's chest, felt like they were burning but most of the damage was prevented by what seemed to by the air friction working against Speed-o'-Sound Sonic's speed, causing a slight cooling effect. Nonetheless, it felt like being burned then having cold water splashed on the same spot.

It was true. Even at Sonic's top speed, he wasn't capable of covering such a distance in the allotted time. Speed-o'-Sound gritted his teeth, refusing to acknowledge such a fact.

(No… fuck that. I'm not losing to some big ass rabbit!)

A shockwave exploded and Touma's ears popped. He felt the wound in his stomach ache. Nevertheless, he tightened his grip.

(This is so gay… I'm gonna die looking gay as hell.)

Is this what fate holds in store for the heroes who have gathered today? Will their futures be swiped away from them by the all powerful entity known as death?

*FWISH!* *FWISH!* *FWISH!* *FWISH!*

A few miles ahead, Saitama was seen sprinting towards Speed-o'-Sound Sonic as Kuroko teleported him. All it took is a serious look from Saitama and Speed-o'-Sound Sonic understands his intention. Barely a fraction of second passed. They both skidded to a stop before crashing into each other.

"What are you do-?" Touma began but was interrupted as Saitama grabbed him by the collar. He then squats. After hooking his arm under Touma's left armpit and locking on to his ribs, Saitama darted into the air. The immense power from that jump creates many cracks on the street and blew Kuroko and Speed-o'-Sound Sonic away.

Abicus cackled maniacally as he held the base of his top hat with his right hand.

(Most powerful magician in two dimensions and I can't come up with a spell to keep my hat in place…)

He was only several hundreds of miles away from Academy City.

(Maybe I should go back to that universe with the yellow people. They seem fun. Them and their yellow skin and four fingers and why is The Simpsons still on the air?)

After contemplating the longevity of a famous American TV show with a view that doesn't reflect the author's opinion in anyway, I mean it, Abicus lost his balance. That shouldn't be possible He had activated a spell that allowed him to cling to the surface of the rabbit no matter what. So then what had happened to cause such an anomaly within an anomoly?

It was nothing complex.

The rabbit roared as its body disintegrates into nothing.

Abicus rapidly approached the ground with his mouth slightly open. Utter shock paralyzed his body as the street moved closer to him.

"Since you seem to have forgotten the first time, I'll say it again."

The voice of a certain spiky haired teenager is heard. Abicus' pupils shrink as he arched his head lower.

"Having an overwhelming power...doesn't make you better than anyone."

Abicus swung his wand to touch the side of his temple.

"And…"

A red fist entered his sight. His heart sunk and his pupils shrunk.

"It's boring as hell."

"R-RUBIOSA-HRUK!"

The sound of bone shattering was barely heard over the roar of the surrounding turbulence.


	41. Chapter 4 Part 12

Saitama descended to the ground holding Touma in his arms. He set him down and even though he was conscious enough to stand, he stood motionless with his jaw dropped. In contrast, Saitama had on a faint smile as he put his fists on his hips triumphantly. A noise reminiscent of nails scratching a chalkboard escaped Touma's mouth. Blood was painted on their faces and upper torsos.

"Hey, that was actually kind of fun," Saitama said casually.

Touma quickly turned to him.

"FUN?! We just killed a man!"

"So? I kill people all the time. Then again, they're always some sort of maniac bent on some sort malice. _Or they just fucked with me and that's not cool bro._ "

Touma put his hands on his cheeks.

"I can't believe it... I'm a murderer! This isn't gonna look good on my transcript. Hopefully, no authority figures were around… GAAAAAAAH, that's exactly what a delinquent would say! I'm no different from them…"

"Oh yeah, you are just a student so I suppose that's kind of bad."

" _Kind of?_ "

"Well, it was to save lives so you're frosty."

"Don't try to relate to me by using hip lingo!"

"I'm not even that much older than you, dude."

"See?! There you go again."

"If you say so, chum."

"Wait… _you_ were definitely the one that killed him! I'm no where near strong enough to burst a skull. I'm just a normal high school student,"

"Yeah but you helped. I wouldn't have been able to hurt him if you didn't cancel that rubber spell of his."

All of the color on Touma's face disappeared. Saitama put a hand on his shoulder.

"Congratulations kid. You're a hero of justice."

"Fuck that… I'm an accessory to murder."

"An accessory of _justice._ "

Touma stared at Saitama with an annoyed expression. But their focus was turned to the loud thud that was Abicus' headless body hitting the pavement.

Kuroko appeared with Speed-o'-Sound Sonic.

"Congratulations you two," Kuroko began jubilantly. "That was amaze-OH MY LORD!"

The heroes of Academy City stared ahead in silence. No one even turned to the sound of Yoshikawa riding on a motorcycle with Accelerator hugging her waist and Last Order hugging his.

"...Justice!...Justice!...Justice!...Justice!"

Mumen Rider pedaled his damaged bike as fast as he could and arrived a few seconds later. He placed a foot on the ground to stop.

"Did… did we win? Is it over?"

"*Exhale* It would appear so," Stiyl said nonchalantly.

The group of heroes erupted in a cheers.

"That bastard did it again, *inhale.*"

"There was never any doubt," Kanzaki said with a smile.

"Heh," Accelerator chuckled as he smiled to himself as he got off the motor cycle. Last Order was attached to his lower torso like a backpack but he ignored her.

Yoshikawa smiled as she leaned forward on the motorcycle.

Mikoto rubbed her eyes with her right sleeve.

"I knew you could do it…" she silently said.

"There was never any doubt," Genos replied without looking at her.

"FUCK YEAH!" shouts Atomic Samurai.

"WE KICKED MARVELOUS ASS!" Puri-Puri Prisoner shouted as he pulled a nervous Atomic Samurai to his chest.

"SCREW YOU AND YOUR PERVERTED PARLOR TRICKS!" shouts Tatsumaki with a red face and tears falling from her eyes. Fubuki picked her up hugged her from behind with a few tears as well. Normally, they wouldn't be seen like this but the moment was a special one of relief so Tatsumaki decided to let it slide, telling herself she was too tired to fight back.

Bang had a satisfied smile.

"EAT A RAW BAG OF JUSTICE, BITCH!" shouted Mumen Rider.

The heroes from Z-City turned to face him, surprised at his gratuitous vulgarity. Stiyl turned to him with a serious expression.

"Hey. Watch your fucking mouth."

A second later, the entire group erupted in laughter. Yes, they might have been two groups of people with no history with each other but that did not matter. For the time being, they were brethren joined together by a victory that was only made possible by combining their forces.

They were interrupted by the arrival of Speed-o'-Sound Sonic and Kuroko.

"I could have gotten here myself," Speed-o'-Sound Sonic said with his arms crossed.

"Yeah, yeah…*FWISH!*"

Ten seconds later, a triumphant Saitama arrived, covered in blood from the torso up.

"Hey guys."

Ten seconds later, a visibly disturbed Touma arrived, also covered in blood. His eyes were unfocused and his head was arched up. He looked like he was falling asleep but too tired to close his eyes.

Ten seconds later, per Saitama's request, Kuroko tossed Abicus' body on the ground a few feet in front of her.

"Oh my God…" Mikoto said raising her hands to her mouth.

Accelerator covered a frightened Last Order's eyes with his hand.

Kuroko teleported next to Mikoto and hugs her, burying her head into her shoulder.

"Good job, sensei." Genos said while flashing a thumbs up with his broken thumb.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GOOD JOB?! THAT'S ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!"

Mikoto screamed, forcing Bang and Puri-Puri Prisoner to cover their ears.

"Oh. I see. In this universe, you must not be so used to completely obliterating your foes in a bloody mess."

"ANY UNIVERSE THAT DOES THAT IS SUPER SCREWED UP!"

"Oh, grow a stomach. He was a…" Tatsumaki put a finger on her chin before trailing off.

"He's uh…"

"A magician…?" Fubuki added.

"One of the most dangerous criminals to ever step foot into Z-City," Genos replied, bring an air of seriousness and tension about him. Everyone except Saitama, Kuroko, Mikoto, and Touma focused their attention on him with curiosity. Kanzaki hide behind Stiyl shivering like a cold puppy.

"A panty thief," Saitama said in a monotone.

And suddenly, the air of tension was dropped in a disappointed manner.

"Ew, gross," Puri-Puri Prisoner said.

"Yeah, according to Genos he would do some sort of act and then tap unsuspecting women somewhere and boom, he somehow steals their panties."

At the same time, Fubuki and Kanzaki hug each other tightly with tears welling up.

"Unheard of!" Kanzaki protested.

"Diiiiiiissssssssgusting," Atomic Samurai said. "Panties are a dime a dozen. A real man would go after vintage bras."

Bang nodded in agreement.

"The breasts are the unsung heroes of the female body. They're rocks protruding from the currents of a waterfall. Similar in appearance, yet subtly different, and formless in movement."

"Yeah, what he said. Say, I like the way you think old man."

"No, no, gentlemen," Kuroko intervened after she teleported in front of them. "The legs are often an underappreciated part of the female anatomy. Why, just the other day, I snuck a picture of my sissy's during our lunch break under the guise of me picking up my spoon."

"Remarkable," said Bang as he stroked his chin.

"Heh, that's pretty deceptive of you. Our ninja friend over there could stand to take a few notes," said Atomic Samurai pointing at Speed-o'-Sound Sonic with his thumb.

"Do not drag me into your bullshit. Besides, I would've done it in a much less conspicuous way."

"Oh?"

"Well for starters, dropping a spoon is too obvious of an excuse if you want to go unnoticed. You're trying to hide in plain sight and banking on either the naivete or trust of your target. While not a bad plan, it's too amateurish and a more experienced foe would immediately detect you."

As Kuroko began profusely typing on her electronic notepad, sparks rose from Misaka's bangs. Bang, Atomic Samurai, Speed-o'-Sound Sonic, and Mumen Rider all step out of the way and a bolt of electricity struck Kuroko in the center of her spine, causing her to bend at an uncomfortable angle. She flew for about a meter before rolled for a second before stopping on her stomach. Her blackened body twitched a limb occasionally. Mikoto rolled up her sleeves and walked over to her semiconscious friend.

"But sissy, these notes are purely for scientific research-UNF! ❤"

"Ah, how good it is to be young and full of energy," said Bang.

"You know, that electrokinetic reminds me of another of a certain ill tempered midget of an esper," said Atomic Samurai.

While being entertained by the joys of youth, Bang and Atomic Samurai notice a massive shadow casting overhead. They turn around to see half a broken building engulfed in a dim green. Beneath that was a car highlighted in a dim blue light. Tatsumaki and Fubuki look at the two men with soul piercingly angry looks.

"Don't think we didn't hear your perverted discussion. Our bodies aren't sex objects!"

"Yeah...well, ninja boy was in on it too. Hit him…"

Atomic Samurai turned his head to see that Speed-o'-Sound Sonic was nowhere to be seen.

"Hm… now ladies, let's be adults about this. It's not my fault I'm a healthy young ma-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the massive half of the building was slammed against the spot he was standing. However, it didn't smash into countless fragments but rather it was completely sliced to bits and pieces. Atomic Samurai has on a cocky smile.

"Let's not do anything we'll regret!"

"Regret?! Who's regretting what exactly?!"

"Fuck, let's cheese it old man!"

But Bang was already a few meters ahead of him. Atomic Samurai starred with his jaw hung open.

"You old bast-"

Atomic Samurai was assaulted from behind by a car thrown by Fubuki.

Stiyl watched the scene with an annoyed expression. However, it was not because he was bothered their behavior but rather because Speed-o'-Sound Sonic was back-to-back against him and peered around his arm as if he were some sort of wall.

"Be silent," he whispered.

Stiyl took the cigarette out of his mouth with his index and middle fingers.

"Be gone."

Child Emperor gave an exasperated sigh.

"This climax has entered into cliche anime territory."

He took off his backpack and unzipped it. He stuck a hand in it and rummaged it. After a few seconds, he pulled out the 8-Cube and tossed it on the ground, opening up a circular 2-dimensional rift revealing a section of Z-City.

"Let's get out of here before they make us all laugh at another corny joke as the camera zooms up to the sunny sky."

As Child Emperor began walking, he noticed Abicus' body twitch out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly, it raised it's right arm holding his wand and tapped his still bleeding open neck. The puddle of blood started to shrink before his very eyes. Soon the rest of the group stared at the bizarre scene. As he sat up, his brain taking form again was vividly visible. After a few seconds, it was blocked off by a skull which was blocked off by tendons and muscles. Finally, Abicus' head was back to its previous form .

He cracked his jaw before jumping onto his feet.

"Don't think you can be rid of me that easily you squires and knaves! I,Abicus the Magnificent, have returrrrrned from my momentary slumber in what can only be described as my greatest show! Returning from the dead! Thaaaaaat's right, you cannot kill me! And now that that's been established, I will now explain my villainous plot in front of you all in my own hubris! First, I'm going to destroy the two dimensions using this mystically augmented saws! Then, I'm going to move on to the next dimension and usurp the highest powers with my abilities! And so on! Eventually, I'll be bound to find a universe where immortality has been discovered! I'll be an immortal deity with lifetimes worth of PANTIES! GWAAAAFWUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

In spite of his ability to do everything he just described, nobody except for Mumen Rider and Last Order took him seriously. In fact, they just stared at him like he was a joke that has gone on for too long. Abicus extended his arms in front of himself and Oswald's Saws slipped out, the hilts sliding perfectly into his palms. He raised his arms and flung them back. The blood vessels in his eyes dilated, putting squiggly red lines in the corners of them. His face was enveloped in wrinkles as he put on the biggest smile he had up to that point that day.

"AND THERE'S NOT A DAMN THING YOU CAN DO TO STOP ME! HAAAAHAA-"

Touma calmly, if disinterestedly, walked up to Abicus and touched the saw in his right hand with his own. A strange sound rang out. Abicus turned around to see the bored looking teenager staring at im. He looked at the saw. Then looked at Touma, repeating that pattern five or six times. He swung the saw to his side but instead of cutting into the fabric of reality, all it did was slice through air. Oswald's Saws weren't originally magical items. They were enchanted by having magic stolen from the tectonic plates of England, where magic is most abundant in the world, bestowed upon it. But without that power, they were just a regular pair of saws with crappy colorwork. Once they came into contact with Imagine Breaker, that magic simply returned to its original source, the ley lines, aka Earth's magical pipelines, in England. Touma cannot destroy the power of the planet as it would simply return to it as energy for the planet.

"...Well, it's a good thing these things come in pairs!"

As if waiting for him to finish that sentence, Touma stepped forward and touched the remaining saw with his right hand. Abicus' sight shifted back and forth between the saws five times.

"...Well, on their own, these still make for pretty dangerous weapons-"

As Abicus took a step forward and cocked back his arms, Saitama intercepted him with a light jab to the face removing his hat in the process. Abicus fell back with a loud thud, his bald scalp revealed. After a brief moment of looking at the serene blue sky, streams of tears rolled down his cheeks. His expression did not portray the grief his eyes expressed.

In a creaking voice that sounded like he was choking, Abicus said "I just wanted to sniff ladies underwear… *sniff* Is that so wrong?"

"Uh, _yeah_ ," Touma responded. "That's _so_ wrong."

Mikoto scoffed.

"I can't believe someone would actually sacrifice two dimensions just to satisfy some sick perversion. You're really just some twisted old man, aren't you?"

"Don't presume you know me, girl."

"What? Are you gonna try and justify your inhumanity by some dark and troubled past?" cut in Touma.

Abicus lifted his head to look at Kamijou.

"No, I meant that I'm 23."

Aside from Stiyl choking on his cigarette and the wind blowing, there was total silence for a moment. Everyone joined for a simultaneous "... _What?_ "

"B-b-but you look so old!" Touma said.

"You don't get to be this powerful without a little bit of stress. That is the only way for people to truly get stronger. Whether physically or mentally. I see that now. Of course, I'm not trying to romanticize my pain. Sometimes suffering is just suffering. And excess is never a good thing. In my thirst for power, I've gone over the edge, abandoning my humanity in the process."

A faint smile appeared on Abicus' lips.

"I truly am human garbage."

While there were mixed opinions about this sudden revelation, nobody spoke for some time. Kuroko teleported next to him and leaned forward.

"That doesn't change the fact that you've still committed countless atrocities with a disregard for other people's safety. It's good that you've shown remorse but simply saying you're sorry doesn't erase what you did. This isn't the kind of world where your crimes are easily forgiven by apologizing. In this world of random intersecting occurrences, the least we humans can do is demand fair treatment from each other."

A pair of handcuffs appeared in Kuroko's right hand.

"I'm sorry Abicus, but surely you understand. You can't escape judgement. You will be brought to justice."

Accelerator's eyes widened. He looked at Abicus then turned to Last Order with a biter expression.

"Last Order…point out the man that stole your panties…"

"Oh, you mean the bald one with a cape laying on his back while crying like a baby at his totally humiliating defeat? Misaka says as she points t the man she described."

"You mean the one with _hair on his sides?_ "

Last Order put on a confused look. She looked at Abicus for a few seconds and then stared at Saitama. It did not take long for her to realize what Accelerator was mad about.

"'Wait, did you go after the wrong person by accident?' Misaka asks surprised at Accelerator's surprising error in judgement?"

Accelerator didn't answer.

"So did you end up going on a wild goose chase filled with zany hijinks and quirky characters wrapping you up in situations that go totally against your character, forcing you to grow a little as person asks Misaka in an attempt to bring out the best of the situation?"

"I attacked an innocent person. He could have died!"

"B-but but-wait. He doesn't seem all that hurt. There's barely a scratch on him and he seems in perfect health which is odd for someone _you've_ attacked after a day. Is that a testament to how powerful he is or were you holding back? Misaka doesn't think you'd be the type to show restraint considering how much you wuuuuuve me says Misaka, subtly diffusing the situation by showing off her cute side by hugging herself and speaking in a cute voice."

"U-uh… Well, Misaka can see where you might have erred in you might have gone wrong b-b-but…"

" _You said he was bald!_ "

" _You didn't let Misaka finish speaking!_ "

"It wouldn't matter if you gave an accurate description!"

"Misaka was traumatized by the situation! How could you not remember that says Misaka as she stomps her little foot on the ground in a genuine display of anger!"

Accelerator's mouth dropped open. It was true, instead of actually hearing her out, Accelerator uncharacteristically acted upon a situation with finding out as much as he could before hand. Instead of letting her finish, he chose his lust for blood over the necessity of even finding the right person. Granted, it was a luxury that could have been afforded given how narrow the search was but had that caped bald man been someone else, he would have needlessly caused more violence towards someone for his own selfish reasons.

"Tch! Yeah, well maybe next time stay in one place next time we're out for food you damn brat!"

With that, Accelerator grinded his fists against the sides of Last Order's temples. Even though he was holding way back, the amount of force he applied was still enough to cause mild discomfort to a child.

"H-hey! Knock it off! Misaka doesn't like bullies so if you don't stop in the next five seconds, Misaka will hate you foreve-HAHAHEHA! Stop! That tickles!"

"You know, she actually has a point," added Yoshikawa from the motorcycle. "Knowing you, you probably attacked him with something that would just barely leave him alive under the pretense that he was a normal esper. You did that in order to both threaten him into stopping his string of crimes and give up Last Order's underwear."

Last Order turned to Yoshikawa with a red face and a frantic expression.

"Don't just say it so casually! Even Misaka has her dignity! Says Misaka shaking her fists at the disrespectful adult!"

Yoshikawa smiled and continued to speak while looking at Accelerator.

"You might have known about him through whatever means but you most likely assumed that he would make this a regular thing worst case scenario. So in a rare display of selflessness, you decided to be the hero for once by protecting the weak and ensuring peace to the masses. Only you didn't expect someone powerful enough to withstand your attacks which is strange. But you couldn't have possibly guessed that there'd be people from other universes within Academy City."

"No…"

"'No' what? Did I get something wrong."

"I wasn't a hero. All I did was act on impulse. I was only lucky things didn't spiral out of control. I just did what I wanted under some shitty pretense of justice."

A while back, Accelerator willingly slaughtered over 10,000 mass produced clones of the #3 just for the sake of being left alone. But was that really the best way of going about that In a world where selfishness runs rampant, you cannot be powerful without amassing antagonism. Eventually, the weak will try to overthrow you.

He never asked to be Academy City's strongest.

(That title truly is meaningless. I'll never understand what the big deal is over being the best. It's not like you can even be the best at anything anyway so what's the point?)

Accelerator never wanted to live in a world where he had to needlessly bring destruction.

(I guess I haven't really changed after all.)

"Did you not fight to protect Last Order?"

"..."

"Accelerator, you can try to play the martyr all you want but the fact still stands that you fought for something outside of yourself. I mean, I'm not advocating carnage, but what you did here today wasn't the result of some uncontrollable urge to cause malice. You just wanted to protect what precious to you."

"And Misaka is very thankful for the sentiment, says Misaka with an earnest smile as she looks up. Today, you were _my_ hero. Misaka isn't mature enough to care about the specifics that don't affect her."

Accelerator didn't respond to that. Instead, he looked forward to the heroes before him seemingly goofing off. He wondered if he was truly worthy of standing on the same stage as them. People who made it their business to look out for the well being of others, not just for those close to them.

"Heh."

(Of course not.)

"What's funny? Asks Misaka. Are you laughing at my display of affection?! It's rude to disregard people's feelings like that! You'll damage my developmental state if this keeps up-"

"Shut up."

(I don't deserve to be on the same stage as them. But even so...)

Accelerator never wanted to live in a world where he had to needlessly bring destruction. What he wanted…

(...it's a start.)

Was acceptance.

Moments later, Abicus was tied up in a metal wires used in the interior of buildings. It was decided that he was too dangerous to leave even a little mobile. After all, a magician always has something up their sleeves. Puri-Puri Prisoner held him out in front of him like a dirty diaper. In spite of that, he looked at him with a devious smile.

"Don't get any ideas handsome. I'll be keeping my bulging eyeballs on you like white on glue. _Very. Sticky. Glue._ "

Abicus looked at his hulking, naked, capture with dilated pupils. All the color left his face.

(There is no god) he silently proclaimed.

The deal was to have Puri-Puri Prisoner hold Abicus captive by himself. No one was to stand behind Puri-Puri Prisoner so Abicus had no means of teleportation via obscuring their view. Since he was a villain of Z-City, Kuroko thought it would be best for them to deal with him. However, he would still be taken in for question and possibly research purposes by Academy City's higher ups. Although Kuroko had no way of knowing the latter.

Mikoto looked around frantically. Kuroko took heed and looked at her.

"Sissy, is there something the matter?"

"Uh… no. It's nothing."

"You know that's the most obvious lie in the history of lies, right?"

Kuroko said this but at one point pulled of a bold face lie to protect her. She did not consider that before speaking though.

"Ah...really. Don't worry about it."

Mikoto put on a forced smile and waved her hands. Kuroko still got the sense that something was being hidden from her but she decided not to prod further.

"If you say so."

Suddenly, Mikoto's cell phone rang. She reached into her interior vest pocket and pulled it out. The caller ID indicated that it was a pay phone.

"I uh…"

"I understand."

"Thanks."

*FWISH!*

Even though Kuroko teleported away, Misaka put some distance between her and the rest of the group before pressing the talk button.

"Hello?"

"Misaka is calling to confirm her whereabouts."

"Whereabouts?! Where the hell were you?!"

"Misaka is not sure if you are thinking clearly but perhaps you can recall the inhaling sphere of destruction that almost caused certain doom for the city, says Misaka."

"...Oh...R-right. But what about the other sisters with you?"

"We were separated unfortunately but this Misaka can confirm the safety of her unit."

"*Sigh* That's good."

"It's unfortunate that we were not able to carry out our mission says Misak-"

"You don't have to get revenge."

"Misaka is confused."

"You don't have to do this. He might have issues. Like _massive_ issues. But it's...it's not worth it."

"...Misaka was referring to the retrieval of the Misaka's stolen panties says Misaka."

"...Huh? Wait, wait, wait. What about all that crap you were talking about exacting your revenge?"

"Misaka was just being dramatic says Misaka. She doesn't take the opportunity to express herself with more extravision."

Mikoto squeezed the bridge of her nose with her fingers and sighed.

"Besides, even Misaka did originally plan to through with her roaring rampage of revenge, Big Sister is there. Misaka trusts that you will make the best decision."

(That's a dangerous amount of trust to put into someone.)

In spite of thinking that, Misaka thinly smiled to herself.

"Which reminds Misaka. You have not recovered the stolen panties yet."

Misaka eye's widened.

"There is a sister within the area but she is dealing with her own problems right now. Misaka would appreciate if Big Sister fulfilled the remains of her mission."

"Yeah, I'll get to that. Oh, wait, what design were they?"

"They were a pair of pink Gekota panties, size extra small."

"Right. See ya."

"Misaka takes the fact that your inaction indicates that you forgot about it. Misaka advises that you eat more fish since they have omega-3s which support brain development. That might prevent any future memory issues-"

" _Good-bye._ "

*Click!*

(Wait... _Extra small?_ The sisters have the same body proportions as me. Even if one of them lost weight, shrinking to that size is impossible… Maybe she was holding it for a friend? But she said it was a sister… so maybe it's a child she's just that close to? Bah. I'll ask her about it later.)

Mikoto walked over to Puri-Puri Prisoner who was licking his lips at Abicus, whose soul seemed to have left his body.

"Hey. Pervert."

"Yes?" Puri-Puri Prisoner replied.

"Not you. The thief. He's still got all those stolen panties."

"Oh, that's right," Abicus responded without turning around. "Would have been terrible if I just went to jail without even returning the things I stole. If you'll be so kind as to momentarily free me."

"You know we can't do that. Can't you just tell us where they are?"

"I mean, I could but that wouldn't really do you much good since it's in a place only I have access to."

"O...kay?"

"Going off a limb here," cut in Puri-Puri Prisoner. "But I take it they're not in your sleeves?"

"Uhh, no. They're in a place a little less… sanitary. Just turn me around. And young lady be pull."

"Huh?"

After clearing his throat a few times, Abicus proceeded to release a incredibly grating sound from his mouth. He shouted for an uncomfortably long ten seconds. Everyone present directed their attention to the grating noise with confusion and annoyance. After ten seconds a pair of panties slowly poked out of his mouth. He huffed and puffed for a few seconds.

"Okay…*sigh* gimmie a sec…*sigh* Just gotta…*sigh*...okay, here we…*sigh* go ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The panties slowly slid out of his mouth. But instead of falling to the ground, the end of it was tied to another pair.

"Alright…*sigh* now you can do the rest."

"I'm not touching those!"

"I thought we had…*sigh* a deal…"

"I'll do it," said Atomic Samurai and Bang as they ran over.

"...Uh, guys," Saitama said. "I have gloves you know..."

But the two perverted men already began pulling the chain of panties from the magician's mouth with their bare hands.

Touma witnessed the scene with a look of shock.

"You sure have some strange friends."

"Yeah but they're good company."

"So what's next for you guys?"

"That's official hero business."

"You don't know, do you?"

"No idea."

"...You shouldn't be proud of that."

Mumen Rider walked over to the group offering to take over pulling out the panties ut he was aggressively rejected by Bang and Atomic Samurai. The former was hit in the spine by a stop sign the was covered in a dim blue light while the latter received a drop kick from Kuroko.

"Whatever. The day was saved. Our friends made it out alright. That's all that really matters."

Touma smiled.

"Quit trying to act cool."

"Says the guy who cut class to help save the day."

"Heh… Somethings are more important than class-OH SHIT!"

"What?"

"My teacher's probably going to give me detention for leaving school in the middle of the day. And that's on top of the one from cursing in class while Ms. Komoe was talking. Curse my... rotten…"

"You teenagers. It's not the end of the world. You should know because you just prevented it. You'll be fine…"

*Thud!*

Saitama turned his head to see Touma laid out on the ground with his eyes barely focused.

"Oh shit, Touma!"

Saitama leaned down to observe his fallen friend. Everybody turned around upon hearing Saitama shout.

"What happened?" asked Mumen Rider.

"Was he hurt during the fight?" asked Bang.

"He was fine just a second ago!" shouted Kanzaki.

"Perhaps his adrenaline wore off?" said Genos.

"It's...!" said Mikoto but by then, Touma's hearing began to fail him.

As his vision began to fade, Touma stared at the serene blue sky. He noticed a massive circular gap in the clouds. Strangely enough, it brought him a sense of peace. The last thing he saw before passing out were the concerned gazes of Mikoto and Saitama.

"I'm sorry," said Stiyl with annoyance in his voice. "Can somebody get this hulking man some pants?"


	42. Epilogue

"Gahaaaa?!"

Touma Kamijou screamed as he quickly sat up. His eyes darted to the side and he saw Saitama sitting in a chair a foot away from him. After calming down a bit, he realized he was sitting in a hospital bed.

"Oh hey."

"What…? What happened? "

"Your stomach wound opened up. You lost a lot of blood. Sonic offered to rush you here but that Zapper girl said that would only make things worse. So she had that pig tailed girl bring you doctor with the frog face said you suffered some liver damage but he stitched you up real fine. You also had some burns on your face and forearms from wind damage but they handled that too. He said you should be good to go after about four days but not to do anything strenuous for a while, unless you want to come back. You sure dodged a bullet."

Touma looked at Saitama's empty expression for a second before sitting back a sighing.

"I always somehow end up here anyway."

"He said that too. Oh! That reminds me…"

Saitama reached down to the side of his chair and picked up a white plastic bag. He leaned over and placed it in front of Touma.

"This is for you."

"Huh? What on Earth could this possibly…"

Touma rummaged through the plastic bag to find a small silver platter covered in tin foil. On top of that was a folded pink card with a famous cartoon frog's head on the cover. Touma picked it up and opened it. The interior cover had a picture of the cartoon frog jumping while winking and and thumbs up. There was a message printed above it reading: "You were made to spring into action. I hop you get well soon!"

(Is that supposed to be clever?) Touma though with a slightly irritated look. Then he looked to the second page to see a series of hand written messages. They said "To good health young one. Hone your skills and have a splendid future! - S.F" "Get your strength back. This world needs more heroes like you, rival. - D.C" "Maybe focus on your left arm more? You'd have such strong arms in the future - P.P.P"

A chill ran down Touma's spine after reading that last one. However, the message in the very middle of the page caught his attention, mostly because it was very neatly written.

It said "If you're gonna play hero, take better care of yourself. I'll never forgive you if you get seriously injured! And I actually made these too, so you better like them. The doctor said cut back on the sugar so I used an artificial sweetener. Get well soon! - M. M."

The dot under the exclamation mark had a winking smiley face which just added to Kamijou's confusion but nonetheless, he appreciated the gesture. Touma pulled off a corner of foil and saw twelve round cookies with macadamia nuts protruding in random areas. He lightly smiled.

"She did this awhile back too."

"Gwahfwuwahfwuha."

Saitama's incredibly goofy laugh made Touma wince.

"The hell is wrong with you?"

"You sure seem popular."

"Shut up."

"I'm not saying anything. Aside from that Zapper girl waiting her till visiting hours were over day. And that all she did was look at you without saying anything besides "Please be okay, please be okay," once. And that she had to be practically dragged away by her teleporter friend before they got in trouble at their school."

"It's just a kind gesture. That's all!" Touma said with a red cheeks.

"Okay," Saitama said putting his hands up to signal surrender. "So, you ready to go?"

"Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"You've been asking a lot of questions since you got up."

"Just hold on! You said I'd be good in four days. Does that mean I was passed out in all that time?"

"Yep."

"...ARGHHHHHHHHH!"

"What now?" Saitama said sounding kind annoyed.

"...There was a sale on groceries two days ago…and my parents aren't going to wire me money for another two weeks..."

Touma hung his head low as if he heard grave news. Saitama silently observed him for a few seconds. He walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"...I'm sorry…"

Suddenly, Touma's eyes widened.

"Hey... Not that I'm not grateful for your staying but don't you have your own dimension to get back to?"

"Oh yeah. The batteries for Child Emperor's teleporting 8-ball cube were busted in the fight with Abicus. He fixed it in like literally five minutes but they need to charge for about a week."

"Man, that's unfortunate. Where are you guys staying?"

"See, about that…"

div align="center"span /span/div

The look Touma's face could be described as a mix between despair, shock, anger, frustration, and confusion. He knew his fortune was too high to be true when it seemed like things would end on a somber note. The culmination of the intense feelings were so powerful that he couldn't even properly express it without going through some sort of breakdown.

Sprawled out in front of, Mumen Rider, Bang, Child Emperor, and Atomic Samurai sat cross legged while holding game console controllers. Several men, and a woman, wearing black suits crowded the area behind them with intense looks on their faces.

Fubuki lazily sprawled out on Touma's sheetless bed with one of his comic books floated above her face. He would soon discover the whereabouts of his bed sheets wrapped around Puri-Puri Prisoner's crotch area like a fudoshi while he was boredly watching gay porn with on Kamijou's laptop using his headphones. Genos, who had his thumb fixed presumably by Child Emperor, had a wire protruding from his head plugged into an outlet in a corner he next to. He seemed to be reading from a small notebook.

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic was throwing shuriken stars at a surprisingly accurate illustration of Saitama he drew on an open space of wall. Stiyl's towering figure leaned against a section of the wall next to the kitchen. Even though it looked like he was sleeping, he had a lit cigarette in his mouth.

Everywhere Kaijou looked, there was a certain level of destruction and invasion of privacy in his student dorm.

Bang's character must have been defeated because he gave a low gasp.

"Hahahaha, eat it old man," Child Emperor proclaimed.

Bang hung his head low.

"...I need to train more."

"You snooze, you lose gramps-Hey!"

An explosion that was too loud emanated from the screen.

"No fair! You cheated!"

"Sorry kid. Nothing personal. And respect your elders you brat."

While Child Emperor pouted, a blue explosion filled the screen. Atomic Samurai's jaw dropped and his trademark toothpick fell out of his mouth. He tossed the controller on the floor in frustration, causing it to bounce of the floor before being knocked into a section of manga books that organized alphabetically, causing them to fall into disarray.

"Arghhhhh! Dammit! How are you so good at this Mumen Rider?! It's not even in our dimension!"

"It's a racing game… what do you think my favorite genre is?"

Child Emperor stuck out his tongue at the defeated Atomic Samurai.

"Hey," Stiyl said with authority in his voice. "No throwing things. I'm trying to smoke."

Touma sighed a deep sigh that would even concern Stiyl if it were somebody else.

"My...m-m-my…"

"Touuuuuuuuuma!"

A young fair skinned girl in a white nun's habit who seemingly came out of nowhere tackled Touma to the ground but even that wasn't enough to stop him from mumbling "M-m-m-m…" A small calico cat jumped on top of her head and happily meowed as if greeting him. The girl's face was uncomfortably close to his

"Huh? Touma, are you alright? You're making strange sounds that borderline on an incantations. Did you hit your head on the way home?" she asked as she placed a palm on his forehead.

"Index...do you mind explaining what the hell is going on in my dorm?"

Saitama knelt down next to him.

"Yeah, sorry for barging in but you gotta understand. We needed a place to crash and we didn't exactly bring money to spend on a hotel. But your blonde friend with the cool sun glasses was nice enough to point us to your dorm. He said you'd be cool with it."

Touma clenched his right fist.

"Tsuuuuuuchiiiiiimikadoooooooo…" he growled as he grinded his teeth together.

"Yo."

Touma arched his head back to see the upside down image of his grinning "friend" Tsuchimikado Motoharu waving at him front his open door. He was wearing jean shorts and an open green button up shirt with a white flower pattern on it. In his left hand was layers of translucent white bags. But even though they were layered, Touma still saw a what appeared to be the edges of a cardboard carton. With a concerned look, he gently pushed off Index. The sudden movement was enough to scare off the cat so it jumped of Index's head and ran across the room. Index chased after it, running in front of the TV causing a man and woman in suits to complain.

"Sphinx! Come back!" Index said.

Without even so much as a "Hello," Touma opened up the contents of a plastic bag in Tsuchimikado's hand. His face paled as his fear was confirmed. The young Motoharu had somehow purchased three six pack cans of a alcoholic beverage.

"Beer?!" Touma shouted. "You brought…" He stopped talking to close the door and lock it. Then suddenly started to whisper. "You brought beer to a student's dorm?"

"E-yup! We ran out of drinks so I did some grocery shopping."

"Then why couldn't you get actual groceries?"

"What'sa matter Kami-yan? We're all responsible adults here, right guys?"

The room erupted with a various cheers consisting of "Yeah!" and "Damn right!" and "I'm ten."

Saitama looked at Touma with a concerned look.

"...you are cool with it, right?"

With three very noticeable snapping noises that made even Saitama flinch, Touma turned to his bald cohort and slowly put on the most forced Shepford Smile the world has ever seen.

"Am I cool with it?"

Then he shook his limbs aggressively stomped his feet.

"NO I'M NOT COOL WITH IT!"

Touma set down his plastic bag and stomped over to Speed-o'-Sound Sonic and furiously pointed a finger at him.

"How am I supposed to be cool with him drawing my wall and using it for target practice?! What are you, five?!"

Then he stomped over to Genos and did the same.

"And why the hell are you charging yourself while you read?! Don't you know that keeping electronics on while you charge them slows it down?! You're just eating up electricity!"

"?"

Then to the group that sat in front of the TV.

"And who the hell said you could touch my video games?! So help me, you better not have accidentally deleted my save data! I'll mop you silly if you did!"

Then he pointed towards the group dressed in black suits.

"And where the hell were you guys?!"

"Oh, the author forgot about us around the bunny fight and didn't feel like editing us in," said Lily, the girl with a flower on top of her head. "We were in a plot protected bunker hidden in subspace."

"Stop breaking the fourth wall!"

"Fine. We were in a coffee shop that conveniently missed all the action."

"That's better!"

Then he stomped Puri-Puri Prisoner and started typing very quickly.

"And it's okay to be that way but don't you dare watch those kinds of videos on my computer, especially when there's children around!"

"I had head phones…"

"That doesn't make it any better! ...There!"

On the screen were videos of adorable cats on a popular video sharing website.

"And if I catch you watching those kinds of videos again, I'll cut off the Wi-fi! And don't forget to clear my browsing history afterwards!"

When Touma turned around to lecture Fubuki, Puri-Puri Prisoner typed in "furry cat yaoi" into an image search.

Then Fubuki…

"And you…"

"...?"

Touma's finger went limp and his face turned red as he stared at the chest up, skin tight robe wearing Fubuki sprawled out on his bed.

"If you're going to use my bed, at least have the decency to cover up. There are men here so you it's not right to show too much," Touma said lowly while placing his cover over Fubuki's body from the neck down.

"Keep it in your pants," said Stiyl.

With the rage of ten sexually frustrated feminists, Touma furiously stomped over to Stiyl and snatched the cigarette out of his mouth with his right hand. He then threw it to the ground and stepped on it with the tip of his shoe, twisting his foot to be sure that the flame was extinguished.

The fuck."

"What the hell is wrong with you?! There are children and a senior citizen present and you have the stones to smoke this in my dorm?! Let's not forget that you're a minor and second hand smoke is dangerous to anyone of any age! You really have no morals, do you?! Also..."

Touma leaned forward and whisper while covering the side of his mouth with his hand.

"Why are you still here? I thought defeating Abicus was your only objective."

"It was. There were some complications involving our mode of transportation so we'll be making ourselves comfortable until late some time tomorrow."

"And where's Abicus?"

Tsuchimikado, after handing everyone including Child-Emperor a can of beer, cut in.

"He's currently being detained until these heroes get their dimension hopping machine working. Don't worry, he's in a place where he can't use any magic. Not that it matters since he seems to have mellowed out."

Suddenly, Abicus' head peered out from underneath Touma's bead. He was still wrapped in metal coils but this time he had blindfold on.

"Somebody say my name?"

"Gah?! Why is he under my bed? I thought you said he was in a place where he couldn't use magic?!"

"I didn't say where. Also, every single detention facility just happened to be full tonight. So that pig tailed girl entrusted the heroes to keep him under watch. But just in case, they're sending over someone everyday to check on him."

"*Sighhhhh* Oh, speaking of which, did you find out what happened to Ms. Yomikawa?"

"She was injured in a fight with Abicus but it wasn't anything severe enough to keep her from working. She'll be back tomorrow as if nothing ever happened although I doubt she'll ever want to bring this up again. Not that it'll stop students from asking. Oh, and Ms. Komoe says you have detention for the next two months for ditching school. She says you can avoid that if you do a 5 page research paper in MLA format before but knowing your hectic life, you're probably going to struggle getting it done in spite of how easy it is. Also, check your phone. I texted you the homework from the classes you missed."

As Touma checked his phone Stiyl walked over to Abicus and stomped on his forehead.

"Hey, get your ass back under there."

"Ah, sorry to bother you but I appear to be running low on oxygen."

"We gave you a straw, didn't we?"

"I seem to have misplaced it."

"Yeah? Well I'll misplace my foot in your ass if you don't get back under there."

"*Sigh* Very well."

With the sound of metal scraping against the floor, Abicus used his feet to pull himself back under the bed.

"WHAT?!"

The room turned to the shouting Touma.

"How am I supposed to get all of this done and wake up on time for school?! It's 11 o'clock for crying out loud!"

"Relax buddy. I paid some guy to do this for me. I'll send you the finished copy if you feel like it."

"Well regardless, it'll be a pain in the ass having to baby sit you all! Index, how could you let things get like this?! You were supposed to house sit while I was gone!"

"I was but then Motoharu-san put Stiyl in charge when he went to the store!"

Touma glared at the Tsuchimikado who put gave him a thumbs up and then at Stiyl who was picking his ear."

"I need a drink… Wait, you said I ran out of drinks? Oh no…"

Touma jogged over to his kitchen and opened up his refrigerator. What was previously mildly filled with enough food and drinks to last up to next week was emptied with the exception of an open carton of milk, a half eaten pizza, and a boot.

"...My rations…"

"Yeah, sorry. We went a little crazy the first few nights."

"'We?' You've got your own fridge!"

"Yeah, but I lost it. Lighten up. I'll pay you back eventually."

Tsuchimikado handed Touma a can of beer. Touma stared at him with annoyed look and snatched it out of his hand. He turned around with the intent to pour it into the sink. He gasped and almost lost his balance at what he saw.

"K-Kanzaki?!"

Kanzaki Kaori, one of the fewer than 20 Saints in the entire world, hand tape wrapped around her fingers as she cut up a few onions. She had tears in her eyes but it was most likely due to the onions as opposed to cutting herself. She turned around after hearing Touma yelling. Instead of wearing her usual white t-shirt, she borrowed one of Touma's orange shirts.

"O-oh. Hello Touma."

"Are you...cooking?"

Touma ran out back into the main living quarters.

"How dare you all enforce dated gender roles onto this poor young lady?!"

"No, no!" Kanzaki said waving her hands in front of her. "Every meal, we took turns cooking by drawing straws. It just happened to be my turn tonight. Although I'll admit, this is a lot harder than it looks. I see it takes another kind of strength to handle these kinds of duties on a daily basis."

Normally, Touma did not make a big deal out of Kanzaki's angelic figure but the combined stimulus of her expressing her vulnerableness along with wearing a shirt that was way too tight around the chest made Touma's cheeks red. He almost considered taking a sip of the alcohol in his hand to combat the immense stress of the but snapped out of it. He walked over the the sink and put the can in upside down.

Tsuchimikado smiled widely as he anticipated that outcome upon giving Touma the beer. Touma looked at him with a bit of annoyance and walked out of the kitchen looking optimistic.

"Well, that's not much of a problem. I can boil tap water if I'm thirsty. Plus, I've got these home baked cookies all to myself…"

*CRUNCH!* *CRUNCH!*

Touma looked down to see that he has somehow manage to get both feet on top of his plastic bag. He leaned down to reach into it and unwrapped the tin foil from the platter. The cookies were all smashed up with the exception of a piece the size of his thumb. Surprisingly enough, the card from earlier was perfectly fine.

He pulled out the lone fragment with his index finger and thumb. He brought it to his mouth, Sphinx jumped through the air and snatched it with his tiny mouth. Index stepped on the platter in pursuit of him.

"Sphinx, no! You ate already!"

Touma had on a somber smile and blinked a few times. A light tear rolled out of his left eye.

"Uh, you okay?" Saitama asked.

Touma rubbed his eye and got up.

"I'm fine. I'm gonna go take a hot shower to relieve my stress and then get started on my homework."

Touma placed the battered tray and plastic bag on the kitchen counter next to Kanzaki

He slowly walked over to his bathroom.

"Okay, just make sure you use a napkin!" Tsuchimikado shouted but the bathroom door just closed.

Saitama turned to Tsuchimikado with a look of disapproval.

"That wasn't very cool."

"He's always doing that," Kanzaki said bitterly. "Him and his childish games."

"Relax guys. I've got my sources. All of his expenses will be taken care of. Don't tell him, it'll be a lot funnier that way."

"Okay, but you're messing with him too much. Kid just helped save possible countless universes so you should at least show some gratitude."

Tsuchimikado turned to face Saitama.

"You think he feels the same way?"

The room went dead silent. Nobody was talking but mostly everyone felt a little guilty for using up Kamijou's resources in spite of what he contributions to ending the catastrophe from a few days ago.

Tsuchimikado smile dropped and was replaced with a serious expression, something that even Saitama could see he wasn't used to doing. His glaring scowl was barely visible through his blue sunglasses. But he returned it with an equally penetrating look.

"You really think he saved our asses just so he could get a thank you? That's not the kind of person he is. I guarantee you that. Things like what you saw are normal for him but he doesn't go around begging for people for gratitude. The only incentive he needs is seeing people in danger."

"..."

"He doesn't risk life and limb for recognition or approval. He just does it because he wants to. The only thanks he wants is you living your life. So don't lecture me about how to treat my friend."

There was some tension in the room but it was more on Tsuchimikado's part than Saitama's. Regardless, he was able to see the effect the young Kamijou had on people around him. Whether it was because he valued his own life or had someone or something dear to him, the young man made it apparent he was thankful for what Touma did. In his own way, he already showed that.

Saitama chuckled. He placed his palms out defensively.

"Alright. My bad."

Tsuchimikado's smile returned, seeing that his message got through.

"While that was a wonderful heart filled speech about friendship," Genos said appearing out of nowhere in front of Motoharu. "If you talk to my sensei like that again, I'll have to beat your punk ass back to Punksville, Punkslyvania."

"Whoa! Genos, chill out! And where did you learn such language?"

"Nah, don't worry. He must be tipsy."

"I'll make you tipsy you young Horatio Caine looking mother fucker."

Index and Sphinx covered their mouths.

"N-nani?!" said Bang.

"FUCK," said Puri-Puri Prisoner.

"Shit fam," said a frozen professor with a rectangular head.

"The hell?!" shouted Atomic Samurai.

"His savagery has breached dimensional boundaries!" shouted a drunk Child Emperor.

"He was just a child!" yelled Fubuki and Abicus.

"Injustice!" shouted Mumen Rider

The Blizzard Group just just said "Ohhhhhhhh," for five seconds.

"I understood that reference," said Stiyl to himself with a surprising display of pride.

"Heh."

Tsuchimikado chuckled as he adjusted he sunglasses with his index finger. Then he got so close to Genos' face that their foreheads were touching.

"WhatthefueckdidyousayaboutmeyouprettyboyRoboCop?"

"You try hard totally raaaaad dude!"

"Reject Ken doll looking Terminator!"

"Wanna be surfer boy!"

"Gender bent Android 18!"

"Their savage levels are off the charts!" said Child Emperor as he took a few clumsy steps. "And so is my blood alcohol level." He then fell over the game console in front of him.

"Hey!" said Index as he ran over to him. "You're not supposed to drink that!"

"Go to hell, mom."

"Ah, how good it is to be young and energetic," Bang said.

"Aren't you supposed to be a more responsible than that?! You're old and a hero!"

"H-hey," Mumen Rider said. "I never lost. Why are all the controllers taken?"

Mountain Ape, Eyelashes, Lily, and Piko of the Blizzard Group pretended not to hear him.

"...I'm going out for a smoke," Stiyl said as he walked towards the door and exited through it.

Kanzaki felt something tugging on her shoulder. She turned around and saw a grinning Atomic Samurai.

"If you spout any more lewd jokes, I will be forced to end your life."

"Easy, easy! It's nothing like that. I just have a little request."

"...What kind of request?" Kanzaki said squinting.

"Well, you see. It's not everyday that you meet a swordsman, sorry, swordswoman, with skill such as yours. I would be so humble honored if you would be so kind as clash blades with me."

Kanzaki stared at the suddenly polite Atomic Samurai with suspicion for a moment before chuckling and lightly smiling.

"Hmph. If it's to test you mettle, then yes, I would be interested. However, flattery will get you nowhere with me. But let's hold that off some other time, okay?"

The sound of a can opening was heard.

"Then it's a date."

"...That's not what we agreed to."

Everyone's attention was drawn to a high pitched scream that came from the bathroom. The door flung open and Touma was tossed diagonally across the room. Puri-Puri Prisoner somersaulted to avoid being hit. Touma clung to the wall for a second before

From the bathroom entrance, Tatsumaki's tiny frame floated from out of the bathroom with white towels wrapped around her hair and body from the chest below.

To clarify, Tatsumaki attempted to use her psychic powers on Kamijou. But upon trying, Imagine Breaker prevented it from spreading to the rest of his body. So he opened the door with her powers and kicked him across the room.

"What's the matter with you?! Haven't you ever heard of knocking?! Can't a lady take a hot shower without any of you perverted men barging in on her?! I bet this kind of thing happens all of the time, doesn't it?! Answer me, you pervert!"

"In order?" Touma groaned. "The universe hates me, it's my house, it's possible, and more than you think."

"O-oh. W-well…"

"Now it's my turn. Have you ever heard of locking the door?"

"...You know, you've got a smart mouth!"

"You ever heard of the term hypocrite either?" Touma lowly said.

However, Tatsumaki gasped. She floated over towards Tatsumaki and began stomping him out.

"Hypocrite?! I'll teach you to call me a hypocrite! You little brat! That's all you are! You're a little immature braaaat!"

"...Hrk?! Please stop…"

"No! You need to learn to mind your manners!"

"...I can see up your towel."

Tatsumaki gasped even louder than she did before and picked up Touma's bed using her powers. In a second, Atomic Samurai, Puri-Puri Prisoner, Bang and Kanzaki surrounded her.

"That's enough, Tornado," said Atomic Samurai.

"To get respect, you must first show it," said Bang. "I know that may be difficult for you but for the decency's sake, compose yourself.

Tatsumaki stared at the wall of defense before her with a determined scowl.

"Hey, if that bathroom's free, I'm gonna go head and use it," Saitama said as he walked towards it. "I've been needing to let out a wicked fart for some time now but I don't want to be rude."

"Oh no you don't!"

The bite sized esper spun around and shut the door using her powers. She dashed over to Saitama. She seemed to have forgotten about the bed she was holding up as it fell. Luckily, Fubuki used her powers to prevent it from crushing Abicus with a loud noise that would have aroused suspicion.

"I'm not done with it yet!"

"Oh come on, it'll only take a sec."

"Do it outside! I don't want to room smelling of fart while I bathe."

"Who the hell gave you permission to use my bath?" Kamijou said under his breath.

"Fine. I'll do it outside."

Afterwards, Saitama opened the front door and walked outside onto the podium. Tastumaki stuck her tongue out at him and went back inside the bathroom.

Touma stood up to observe the ongoing chaos that occurred in his dorm.

Speed-o'-Sound Sonic was teaching Index how to throw a kunai. Mumen Rider was fighting Eyelashes over a controller. Piko was beating his high best time in his racing game. Atomic Samurai was drinking four beers at once while the rest of the Blizzard Group yelled "Chug! Chug! Chug!" Child Emperor was trying to flirt with Kanzaki by sharing his lollipop to which she respectfully declined. Tsuchimikado and Genos were still bickering like cats and dogs. Puri-Puri Prisoner was looking at gifs of furry cat yaoi. And worst of all, Fubuki was reading a manga that Touma didn't even read yet.

The spiky haired teenager sighed yet again.

"Could this get any worse?"

Suddenly, an explosion lit up the room, launching all of the guests over the balcony and into a seven story free fall.

Stiyl's cigarette fell out of his mouth indicative of the utter shocked he felt. You see, farts contain methane and hydrogen, which are both highly flammable. So naturally, when Saitama's godly gas came in contact with the lit flame from a cigarette Stiyl didn't care enough to stomp out, a massive explosion spread throughout the space behind them.

The bathroom door was blown away, revealing a naked and stunned Tatsumaki before she as she was about to enter the shower.

"Oops…" Saitama said, looking just as shocked as Stiyl and Tatsumaki.

Meanwhile, Touma and company continued their freefall. Regardless of that fact, Kamijou stared indifferently at the oncoming pavement. But he did shout one thing at the top of his lungs.

"Curse my rotten LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

But of course, they all landed safely thanks to the heroics of the Z-City Heroes.


	43. Epilogue?

In another time, in another place. The ruins of a once great...a once okay city casually dressed the landscape. There were random indistinguishable organs and splattered blood here and there but there was total stillness. No life, no sound. Just the ambience of desolation. It looked like the aftermath of a terrible tornado.

The sound of a massive building crumbling echoed across the city for miles. Followed by the howling of lightning. On one side of the city, a middle school girl with short brown hair, a beige blazer, and a gray skirt heavily panted. It didn't help that her brown dress shoes didn't provide the necessary foot support for running. But just about every part of her body, even down her black socks, was covered in red and purple scraps and gashes.

She jogged around the corner of a long empty business building, she stopped and groaned. She fell to the wall on her left and squeezed her lower abdomen, but that did nothing to stop the bleeding or the pain. She writhed while sweat spilled down her forehead. Despite this, the sound of something being ripped from the ground caught her attention. She swung her head around and saw an unrooted tree flying in a straight line at some 40 kilometers per hour.

The middle school girl whipped her right arm diagonally and a thick line of electricity altered its course. The upper half of tree was lit and spun several times as it crashed into another building. Blue sparks crackled around her bangs. She noticed a dark spot on the ground about three feet in front of her. Her pupils dilated for a moment and she swung her head up.

*FWISH!* *FWISH!* *FWISH!*

Several cars that were dyed a teal light dropped from the sky like meteors. All around her, they crashed into the street and lit the scene in an orange display of fireworks. Yet by the time the smoke cleared, she was already just over 700 meters away, wrapped in the arms of a petite pigtailed girl who wore the same uniform. They both panted for a few seconds but the next moment, they disappeared from sight before a billboard destroyed the top of the building they previously stood.

The girls teleported from apartment to street light to evade their predator. However, as soon as they stepped on top of a telephone pole, it suddenly rose, which sent the two in tailspin towards the sidewalk three meters below. As short haired one hugged her friend tightly with her right arm, she swung her left at the brick apartment in front of her. Blue sparks protruded from it and dragged it. She put a foot out to cushion the impact and bent her leg as she magnetically stuck to the wall.

She noticed an even larger shadow casted over her so she looked up. The bright blue sky and the brilliant sun were not covered by clouds. Instead, several cars, fragmented buildings, restaurant signs, and any and every piece of the city scenery dangled several miles overhead them, covered in a teal hue. She could barely make it out, but in the center was a tiny body in crucifix like position that immited the same color.

It swung an arm and launched a red car at speed so fast, it caused a shockwave. The school girls teleported to another building in front of them, then several meters into the air at a diagonal angle. They teleported to another rooftop and continued to move forward in random directions. During one interval, Short Hair cupped a silver game token between her thumb and index finger. She aimed her arm at the sky and flicked the coin.

Sparks surrounded her person as the worthless currency was engulfed in an orange light and propelled and five times the speed of sound. It ripped through the air and penetrated an orange sports car next to the short teal figure. It turned to the side and let out a light gasp before being surrounded by a black and orange cloud. That first explosion set off a chain reaction as every other car that floated nearby also exploded. In a fantastic and loud displayed, the sky roared several times with a nearby skyscraper caught in the crossfire.

The dynamic duo continued their irregular path.

"Kuroko," said Short Hair. "We can't keep this up. We're both at the end of our ropes. We have to regroup with the others and work out some sort of strategy."

"That's a negative Sissy," Kuroko replied. "They have their own battles to attend to. And if you of all people ended up this badly injured, bringing that monster over to them will surely end badly for all of us. We'd be lucky if-"

A car crashed just a few meters away from Kuroko and her aly. The shockwave from the explosion undid their grip and the two spun through the air in opposite directions. Kuroko landed somewhere covered by a thick cloud of dust. Her tiny body slammed against the street face first, which raised her lower abdomen and legs and put her in a shape similar to a scorpion's stinger in attack mode. She slid about two feet against the scratchy street and her knees hit the ground with a crack.

Despite that, through sheer will power, she steadily pushed herself up and used a nearby street light to help herself stand. She opened her mouth to scream but stopped herself. Instead Kuroko turned around and imagined the direction where her friend was launched.

*FWISH!* *FWISH!* *FWISH!*

She teleported to where she visualized where her dear friend landed and her eyes desperately darted in their sockets. Then finally, about 180 meters away, she spotted those familiar brown bangs slowly pushing herself up. Kuroko teleported once but upon the second interval between her second jump, she hear the shattering of stone from afar. She looked over to her right and saw the top of some sort of business building blown to bits. In the next interval, she noticed a massive skyscraper with a pointy tip raised into the air. She shifted her focus back to her struggling friend.

(A smokescreen?!) she thought.

Anticipating what to come, her heartbeat raised tenfold. With every jump, she teleported to the upper limits of her range. And just when she was within reach of her dear friend, she suddenly stopped. Something seemingly pulled her to the ground and she fell on her cheek.

"What the…?" she whispered to herself. She got up on her right foot but her left leg seemed to be stuck in place. "...No...nonononononononono…" As she repeated her chant, she turned around as much as she didn't want. She wanted desperately for it to not be true but that was simply beyond her power. From the ankle down, her foot was stuck inside the street.

She found herself unable to think properly. She tugged on her leg with both arms as the tears poured down her cheeks. Her nails dug so deep into her slender thigh, it bled a little. Once more she looked back at her dear friend. And at the same time, she returned the glance.

"Sissy!" Kuroko yelled.

She did not reply to the nickname she had affectionately accepted. All she did was smile. It was the sort of wholesome smile you gave someone who's done you many a favor and always stood by your side. It was the sort of smile you gave a dear friend you'd never see again.

The skyscraper parted the dust clouds.

Words were not needed.

With her face alone, the short haired girl said…

"...Thank you. For everything."

With a lump in her throat, Kuroko futility reached out her right hand, and blocked her own vision.

"MISAKAAAAAAA-"

But despite her cries, her friend disappeared in gray fog of destruction.

The roar of the explosion lasted about thirty seconds, but to Kuroko Shirai, lasted an eternity. Her hand went limp and fell.

"...No...nononono." Her voice cracked as she she fell to her palms. Her head hung low in utter defeat. "Nonononononononoooooooooo..."

CONTINUED IN VOLUME 2

OUT NOW


End file.
